Page:Short account of the origin and progress of the cholera morbus.pdf/9



The appearance of our town was now dismal in the extreme, almost no vehicle to be seen but hearses, going in every direction; followed sometimes only, with one or two mourners; in one instance the only attendant of the hearse was a boy bare footed and meanly clad, he was following the remains of his mother; and, it was said, he had not another relation alive. No funeral letters were issued, no undertaker employed, no suits of mourning procured and worn; coffins, often ready made, were procured the moment after death, only a few friends were invited, who for the most part followed at a distance. For a number of days at the first there was scarcely a single recovery. The Cholera hospital in English Street was opened, filled, emptied, and as quickly filled again. The faculty, worn out with fatigue, were assisted by five of their profession arriving from Edinburgh and two from Castle Douglas; they even were not exempt from the malady,—two belonging to our town died and two of the strangers showed unequivocal symptoms. A number of pots filled with tar were burnt in the street in many parts, which, especially at night, gave the town a gloomy appearance. Most of the shops continued shut all day. Flying to the country did not evade death, there were more cases in proportion of persons seized in the act of flying, and even after they had reached their destination, than those that remained.

The grave digger's spade, was in constant use; there was a large common grave, like in the field of battle, for those that had no burying place. St. Michael's church was shut up on Sabbath for fear of Cholera graves and public worship performed in the court house. Wednesday, October 3, was very unlike a market day; there was no markets, few open shops, no cattle on the sands; out of nearly sixty