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nobody could have been surprised; yet only 2 deaths occurred in "White
Street and 3 in Swan Street.
No settled plan of treatment for Cholera has been agreed upon by the
Profession, and the late opidemic has added little to our knowledge
in this respect, unless it be to shew the fallacy of some modes of
treatment; if, however, we have made no advance in curative treatment, we
have arrived at more certain conclusions as to the causes, prevention, &c.
These conclusions are—that Cholera may be conveyed from place to place
in various ways ; that it may remain innocuous for a very long period;
but that, under conditions favourable to its development, it springs into
action and spreads ad infinitum. These conditions are bad water, bad air,
defective drainage, overcrowding, dirty and irregular habits. "When,
then, Cholera prevails in a neighbourhood, such precautions as the
following should be particularly attended to :—Obtain advice upon the
first symptoms of Diarrhoea ; let all water be boiled before it is drunk; if,
after boiling, there is any doubt as to its purity, pour into it a small quantity
of Condy's Red Fluid, sufficient to tint it a slight pink ; if the water retains
the pink cast for an hour or so, you may safely drink it. Let a supply
of pure air be maintained by thorough ventilation. Let some of ilcDougall's
disinfecting powder be continually kept in the sick room, and care taken
to disinfect excretions with carbolic acid directly they are passed; and
let attendants be very careful to wash their hands thoroughly before
meals. In case of death, relatives and friends should not allow their
feelings to get the better of their discretion, but the burial should take
place as soon as possible. This is specially necessary in over-crowdcd
localities. All contaminated bedding, clothes, &c., if of little value,
should be burnt; if valuable, they may be placed in boiling water, to
which has been added carbolic acid, and washed without delay. As
although carbolic acid does not (like chloride of lime), destroy clothing,
it attacks the skin, and care must be taken not to let it get on any part
of the body. Woollen and other goods that would spoil in the washing,
should be submitted to a temperature of 260" Fahrenheit in an oven or
other suitable place. Closets and drains should be well looked to, and
trapped and panned where necessary. If offensive smells arise from them,
pour down some carbolic acid. If, in addition, you live regularly and
temperately upon those things that generally agree with you, and are
conducive to health, if you are clean in house and person, and avoid
excesses of all kinds, there will be less to fear in any future outbreak of
Cholera.