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the patient was not speedily relieved. This epidemic disorder happened during the northerly winds in December, January and February; when they ceased, the malady disappeared. The only specific which Choisel, a foreign missionary, found, was treacle and Drogue-amère.' Sonnerat notices the term 'Mort de chien' as being used in India, but applies it to indigestions,' which are very frequent,' and from which many have died suddenly.'

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At Ganjam in 1781.

"Cholera appears to have manifested itself pretty extensively as an epidemic in 1781. Its appearance on this occasion is thus noticed in the report on Cholera, by Mr. Jameson, Secretary to the Calcutta Medical Board: A Division of Bengal Troops, consisting of about 5,000 men. was proceeding, under the command of Colonel Pearse of the Artillery, in the Spring of 1781, to join Sir Eyre Coote's army on the coast. It would appear that a disease resembling cholera had been prevalent in that part of the country (the Northern Circars) sometime before their arrival; and that they got it at Ganjam on the 22nd March. It assailed them with almost inconceivable fury. Men previously in perfect health dropped down by dozens; and those less severely affected were generally dead or past recovery within less than an hour. The spasms of the extremities and trunk were dreadful, and distressing vomiting and purging were present in all. Besides those who died, above five hundred were admitted into Hospital on that day. On the two following days the disease continued unabated, and more than one half of the army was now ill.' In a note it is added, 'The occurrence of the disease on this occasion is noticed in a letter, dated 27th April 1781, from the Supreme Government to the Court of Directors; and the destruction, which it caused in this detachment, is mentioned in terms of becoming regret.'

"After adverting to its progress in the Circars, the letter thus proceeds: The disease to which we allude has not been confined to the country near Ganjam. It afterwards

found its way to this place (Calcutta); and after chiefly affecting the native inhabitants so as to occasion great mortality during a fortnight, it is now generally abated, and is pursuing its course to the northward.'

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Noticed by Curtis in 1782.

"From this period up to the year 1787 [and perhaps even to 1790] the cholera would appear to have existed epidemically in various parts of India. Curtis states that the fleet in which he served, joined Sir Edward Hughes' squadron at Madras, in the beginning of 1782. In May of that year, his ship, the Sea-horse, arrived at Trincomallee, and he says: 'The Mort de chien, or cramp, I was also informed by the attending Surgeon, had been very frequent and fatal among the seamen, both at the hospital and in some of the ships, particularly in the Hero and Superb. . . . About the middle of July 1782, I entered on duty at Madras Hospital. Here again I had occasion to see many more cases of the Mort de chien. It was frequent in the fleet in the month of August and the beginning of September, the season at which the land wind prevails on this part of the coast. We had some cases in the hospital in the end of October, and in November after the monsoon, but few in comparison. . . .'

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"It is also noticed in the Bengal Report, that in the month of April 1783, cholera destroyed above 20,000 people assembled for a festival at Hurdwar; but it is said not to have extended to the neighbouring country. these authorities would seem accordingly to establish the fact of the prevalence of cholera in India; and specially of its existence during the period extending from 1769-70 to 1787, when we find the first notice of the disease in the records of this office, . . . . and which we now come to consider.

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Dr. Duffin's account of it at Vellore in 1787.

Doctor Duffin, in a letter dated the 28th October 1787, says I returned yesterday from Arcot, where I had an

opportunity of seeing the situation of the sick. The Cholera Morbus rages with great violence, with every symptom of putrescency; and so rapid is its progress, that many of the men are carried off in 12 hours' illness.'"

Cholera noticed in 1790 in the Northern Sircars.

It is stated in the Calcutta report, that Cholera was again very prevalent and destructive in a Detachment of Bengal troops marching through the Northern Circars, in the months of March, April, May and June of 1790. . . .

A cursory inspection of the register of burials which has been kept at St. Mary's Church in Fort St. George from so remote a period as the year 1680, affords some grounds for believing that the population of Madras, including the military and sea-faring classes, have at certain periods suffered much from epidemics; no light, however, is thrown on the nature of the sickness which may have prevailed. Thus, in 1685, the number of funerals was 31, which is about the average of the four previous years; in 1686 there were 57 funerals; in 1687.-93; in 1688,—84; in 1689,-75; after which they gradually diminished to about the first standard. The funerals amounted again to more than the usual number in 1711, being 92; in 1712,-89; and 1714, -80. In 1755 there appeared to have been much sickness, 101 funerals having then taken place. The deaths increased yearly till 1760, when there were 140. After this they decreased, and continued stationary till 1769, when 148 took place, a great many of which were of seamen, soldiers, and recruits. A most remarkable increase in the mortality is observable at a period when we know that cholera prevailed on the coast. Thus from the year 1770 to 1777, the average number of funerals was about 105 in the year, the population, it is to be supposed, having by this time increased. From that period till 1785, the funerals were: In 1778,—165; in 1779,—190; in 1780,—353; in 1781,—516; in 1782,—657; in 1783,-440; in 1784,-250; in 1785,-99.

The occasional presence of fleets and armies no doubt contributed to swell the lists of funerals at particular periods; but on the occasions in question the mortality extended also to the civil population; and as the instance of the greatest mortality which is recorded took place at a time when we know from other sources that cholera prevailed on the coast, there seems ground for inferring that the same cause probably existed on the other occasions which have been noticed. Though not immediately connected with the subject, we may here be permitted to remark, that an examination of the obituary affords signal proof of an amelioration in the health of sea-faring people, the mortality amongst them, in remote periods, appearing to have been excessive, in comparison with that of modern times.

Returns of sick to the Hospital Board from Arcot and Vellore from 1789 to 1814: (cholera is known to have prevailed during the three first years):

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In an interesting paper on the history of cholera, in the Indian Annals of Medical Science, Dr. D. B. Smith quotes Dr. John Macpherson and other authorities, to prove that malignant cholera showed itself in one of the first campaigns of Europeans in India, in the year 1503. Portuguese found it in India. The first undoubted great epidemic of cholera within the period of European intercourse with India, took place at Goa, in 1543. From the accounts of Zacutus, Bontius and others, the disease appears,

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about 1632, to have been widely diffused in Java, India, Arabia and Morocco. There was a period of quiescence of the disease in the early part of the 18th century—then a great outburst after 1756, which lasted about thirty years, and was followed by a period of comparative rest till 1817. Since that time it had been active. Dr. Smith has done a service in reprinting the correspondence between Mr. C. Chapman, Judge of Jessore, and Mr. W. B. Bayley, Secretary to Government during the great outburst of 1817 in that District and Burdwan.

A shrine was opened, in 1817, at Kidderpore, to a newly created goddess, who was known as the celebrated Oola Bibi (the "Lady of the Flux!"), rival of the great Káli Dévi, whose famous temple is at Kali Ghaut, on the banks of Tolly's Nullah, which was formerly the channel of the Hooghly. The term cholera (according to Corbyn) was derived, by Trallian, from cholas an intestine, and rheo to flow-literally "bowel-flux." The old native (Mahratta) name for the disease was Mordshi. Dr. Macpherson has traced the history of the term in a very interesting manner. Mordschi first became Mordeshi, then the Mordeshin of the Portuguese, which in turn was corrupted into the Mort de Chien of the French.

[This last passage is a printed extract in Sir Walter Elliot's note-book, but I do not know its source.-R. S.]

(To be continued.)

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