THE
CHOLERA GAZETTE.
VOL. I. _WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8th, 1832._ No. 5.
_M. Petit’s Treatment of Cholera._
The principal indication which M. Petit, one of the physicians of the
Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, proposes to himself to fulfil, in the treatment
of cholera, is to keep up a constant impression upon the spinal
marrow, and to change the phenomena of innervation. To effect this
he places over the whole length of the spine a strip of flannel, wet
with a liniment composed of an ounce of the essence of turpentine
and a drachm of aqua ammonia, and passes slowly over it a very hot
flat-iron. An instantaneous evaporation of a great part of the liniment
results, which acts powerfully on the skin over the spine, and induces
very speedily vesication. The heat returns to the skin, the cramps
and vomitings disappear, the circulation is reëstablished, and the
patient feels much better. The effects of this remedy are assisted by
hot bricks to the limbs; by frictions to the body with a decoction of
mustard, to which some aq. ammonia is added, and the patient is also
made to drink copiously of balm and mint tea. A table-spoonful of the
following potion is likewise given every hour:--℞. Aq. distil. Tilleæ
Europeæ; aq. distil. melissæ, āā. ℥ij.; tinct. opii, gtt. xx.; syrup.
ether. ℥j. M. Finally, the patient is rubbed all over with a liniment
composed of camphorated oil of chamomile, ℥ij.; laudanum, ℨij.; liquid
ammonia, ℨj.
M. Petit is said to have been more successful than most of his
colleagues in the treatment of cholera. In a communication to the
Academy of Medicine he states that under the above treatment two-thirds
of his patients have recovered.
_On Density of Population._
Density of population in cities becomes a matter of extreme importance
connected with the visitations of pestilential diseases. A too crowded
population may of itself engender a pestilence, and must inevitably
aggravate one should it prevail from other causes. Hence the necessity
which occasionally arises of thinning the inhabitants of certain
districts--an exigency which, like that of war, often subverts civil
authority, and demands the exercise of the most arbitrary power. We
have recently seen our New York neighbours compelled to thin the
population in some parts of their city, and we may yet be forced to
have recourse to a similar measure. Upon this subject there are some
interesting calculations furnished in Hazzard’s Register, (Vol. VIII.
No. 5,) where may be found an interesting table, exhibiting the number
of square feet in each ward of our city, together with the population
at each census from 1790 to 1830, and the number of square feet to each
inhabitant. From this table it appears that the increase in density
of population throughout the city plot, has been in the following
proportion during the forty years embraced in the estimate.
In 1790 there was 1 person to 1755 square feet.
1800 ” 1 ” 1216
1810 ” 1 ” 933
1820 ” 1 ” 986
1830 ” 1 ” 623
Viewing the wards separately, we find that, in 1830, there was one
inhabitant to every 313 square feet of superficies in the eastern
division, and one to 979 of the western.
Eastern Wards.
New Market ward had 1 to 236
Lower Delaware 1 243
Pine 1 248
Upper Delaware 1 318
Chesnut 1 341
Walnut 1 398
High 1 402
Dock 1 416
---
Average 313
In the western wards, where there is a large proportion of unoccupied
ground, the density varies from 840 to 1354 square feet to each
inhabitant--the average being 979.
The propriety of legislative enactments limiting the maximum density of
population, and the space allowed to be occupied by buildings, so as to
ensure sufficient ventilation, &c. seems to us to be manifest. We shall
take a future opportunity of offering some further remarks on this
subject.
_Injection of Saline Solutions into the Veins._
(Continued from page 55.)
No. 4.
_Letter from Dr. Lewins, to the Secretary of the Central Board of
Health._
_Results of the Injection Practice in the Drummond-street Cholera
Hospital, Edinburgh._
SIR,--You will receive from Dr. Latta, the details of two or
three cases treated by saline injections. We have both been so
much occupied to-day, that we have not had leisure to get our
communications ready to be sent in the same envelope. We steal
an hour from the time usually allotted for rest to write to
you. In case Dr. Latta should omit to mention the circumstance,
I beg to mention that his patient, Cousins, the woman who was
injected to the amount of three hundred and seventy-six ounces,
and who promised to do well, for a considerable time, was a
person of very dissipated habits.
In the Drummond-street hospital six patients have been
injected, and three recovered, or are recovering. In the three
that died, extensive organic disease was found on dissection;
disease that had existed previously to the attack of cholera.
I send herewith the report of two cases, treated by Dr. Craigie
of this place, which, at my request, he furnished me to-day for
the perusal of the Board.
I intended to have sent an account of an interesting fatal
case, the only one in which the venous injection may be said to
have fairly failed where it was fairly used; that I shall do
to-morrow.
I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant.