Page:Short account of the origin and progress of the cholera morbus.pdf/10

 only one visited our town, every one seemed to dread the city of the plague. We were like a beseiged town, cut off from all communication with the world. Thursday October 4, was held by appointment as a last day, and many eriedcried [sic] to God to spare us. The easescases [sic] that day were fewer, and continued to decrease ever after; that night after ten o'clock there was a violent thunder-storm, quite unexpected; some of the peals were terrific. It has been observed that Cholera other places decreased after a similar storm, and it was viewed by persons the most timid, with pleasure. The academy was vacated and hastily fitted up as a house of refuge, which was soon filled with orphans. Camphor, laudanum, preventative pills, and many other drugs were in great requisition; many commenced smoking as an antidote; brandy also was in great demand, a medicine which was disapproved of by the highest medical authority.

The disease likewise appeared at Springholm; the first case was a man of dissipated habits, who had been at Dumfries. In all, twenty-five cases, thirteen deaths. Carlaverock was also severely visited, there were about twenty-one cases, eighteen of these proved fatal; the localities were the Old Quay and Blackshaw. There like wise were three deaths by Cholera at the village of Amisfield; indeed there were insulated cases over the whole country.

To show the malignity of the disease, we here subjoin the official reports of the Dumfries and Maxwelltown Boards of Health, for two weeks.