View report page

202
to the body: but that that phase is commonly of
short duration, and probably readily arrested or
rendered innocuous by cold or other agencies.
Having placed before you a resume of our
present knowledge of the nature and causation of
Cholera, and explained what was formerly mysterious
about it, you will be able to understand the few
remarks I propose to add with respect to two or
three questions of immediate interest.
1st. What are the prospects of the invasion of
this country by Cholera ? The epidemics of 1831 -32
and 1848-49, came to us from the north of
Europe, and their advent was watched and foretold.
The epidemic of 1853-54 may perhaps be regarded
as exceptional, for the disease had never left Europe
from the time of the previous epidemic. The
epidemic of 1865-66 reached Europe via Egypt.
It arrived in England however, not from Egypt
directly, but through the continent of Europe. So
far our former experience would lead one to believe
that an epidemic of Cholera in this country is
imminent, But, on the other hand, it must be borne
in mind that, for several years in the early part of
the last decade, cholera prevailed in some parts of
Europe and yet did not reach this country at all;
and that on one occasion Cholera raged severely in