Asiatic Cholera: A treatise on its origin, pathology, treatment, and cureWhitney, Elijah
History
Asiatic Cholera: A treatise on its origin, pathology, treatment, and cure
Whitney, Elijah
Cholera
Thus, while it was making its way westward along the great chain of
lakes, towards the arteries of the Great West, it was, at the same
time, steadily pursuing its uninterrupted course along the coast,
visiting the main cities, and spreading from these as from common
centres over the intermediate towns and villages. In its progress it
reached Baltimore on the 22d August, and the City of Washington on the
28th of the same month.
Thence it continued its course to Richmond, Norfolk, Edenton, and
various other cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coast.
It appeared at New Orleans in the Autumn of 1832, during the existence
of a severe epidemic of yellow fever, and apparently subsided on the
disappearance of the fever. Sporadic cases, however, occurred during
the Winter, and in the opening of Spring it broke out with unwonted
vigor and severity, and thence spread, according to its accustomed
laws of itineracy, along the rivers into the interior of the States
bordering upon the Mississippi and the Gulf coast, and raged throughout
Louisiana and Texas with unusual violence and fatality.
In 1832, 1833, and 1834 it prevailed throughout the Mississippi Valley
with great fatality, especially in the principal cities, villages and
towns situated upon its navigable waters. Here, after intervals of
entire immunity from its presence, it occasionally reappeared in some
of the larger cities with renewed vigor and power, and swept off vast
numbers of the inhabitants. In no section of the States have greater
numbers, compared with the whole population, fallen victims to it than
in the fertile and sparsely settled prairies of the South and West.
Thus, from the North, and at a later date from the South, extending
its influence along the principal rivers into the interior, it swept
over the States, prevailing in some places in the Valley of the
Mississippi as late as 1836. In short, it reappeared in 1834 in many
cities and places where it had before prevailed, and again spread over
a considerable portion of the country with unprecedented fatality.
In 1833, the disease appeared at Havana and Matanzas, and prevailed on
the island for several months with great fatality, especially among
the colored people. During the same season it appeared in August
at Tampico, Campeachy, Vera Cruz, and the city of Mexico, proving
especially violent and destructive in these and other cities of the
Republic. In Central America it is said to have attacked the army, and
in a very short period to have swept away a very large proportion of
its officers and men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account