MALIGNANT OR ASIATIC CHOLERA.

304 I published my views in 1849. and I had not then seen Mr. Quackery, thathydra-headed monster," is again at work; Simon’s admirable lectures on Pathology, which appeared in THE there is a rich harvest to be gained, and why should not the LANCET of 1850, but I find he says: " We are quite ignorant of quacks avail themselves of the opportunity. There is no law, I believe, in this country to prevent their evil the primary influence of cholera; of its communicability from person to person proof has never yet been given. In all human doings. It is not considered manslaughter if a person die from probability, the disease spreads independently of personal inter- adopting "a certain cure for cholera," "aa recipe for cholera," course. The eliminative acts excited by the poison of cholera &c., however baneful or inert the ingredients may be of which it is composed. are among the most violent manifestations of disease, stripping off the epithelium of the intestinal canal, and purging forth Those who read some of the public journals and small publicaserum, by stool and vomit, with a rapidity which literally tions will find that the eyes of the money-getting are open ; they desiccates and shrivels the patient, so that his blood, by reason of hoped the cholera would come; they now know that it has its extreme inspissation, is rendered incapable of its normal appeared ; the pen is at work, and publicity is given to its profunctions. There is a degree of its operation, however, in which duction. the choleraic poison, like that of yellow fever, may kill and Those who have been fortunate enough to read the Registrar-; leave no sign. Death may occur from its intensest action, even General’s weekly return for the week ending Saturday, August within a few minutes,"-of course, without premonitory symp- 27th, 1853, will no doubt have more faith, and will not fail to toms. call to their aid the attendance of their medical adviser ; but I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, many thousands who know not of its existence may be tempted, FELIX W. RICHARDSON, M.R.C S., as others have done before, to place confidence on such advertised Woolwich, Sept. 1853. Surgeon to the Royal Kent Dispensary. nostrums as have sent multitudes two that bourne from whence no traveller returns." In my former letter I wrote that it was the duty of medical men THE TREATMENT OF CHOLERA BY SULPHUR. to point out the path where danger lies." I will now alter my To the Editor of THE LANCET. tone, and state it would be best to point to the road that may lead safety. SIR,-The cholera is again among us. The time is past for to In justice, therefore, to the public and ourselves, I think every theorizing and speculation; our business now is with matters of medical man in the United Kingdom should possess, and disfact. The question, 11 its there any cure for the disease, or antidote for the poison ?" has to be answered. My belief is that tribute among his patients and friends, copies of the RegistrarAllow General’s excellent advice to the public. a remedy and an antidote does exist, and that is sulphur. Medical publishers and booksellers could cause such to be me to call your attention to the circumstance that Mr. Blacklock in India, Dr. Bird in America, myself in this country, and the printed ; they could be obtained, I presume, at a trifling expense, or they could be printed in every provincial town, with an appropeasantry in Scotland, have found sulphur to be almost a specific for the malady; indeed, as much so as quinine in ague, or priate heading, and thus find their way to the residence of every medical man. mercury in syphilis. That it does fail is undoubted, but no Our friends the " dispensing chemists" could widely circulate is infallible. There are for all but antidotes poisons; remedy such among their customers, who often apply for "something for if the body have already reached that state of torpor or insusthe bowel complaint," and I boldly affirm it would be their duty of medicinal or to the impression physical agents ceptibility which we find to be the case in advanced cases of cholera, or if so to do injustice to the public. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, the poison be too abundant to be overcome by the antidote, VERAX. September, 1853. failure under these circumstances should not be set down as an otherwise uniform value of the and argument against general CASE OF FENNELL v. ADAMS. the remedy. The value of a remedy depends much on the manner in which To the Editor of THE LANCET. it is administered. The plan I have adopted is the following :SIR,-It is desirable that the strong" feeling entertained by the A mixture of twenty grains of sulphur (the pure precipitated), in regard to the late trial, Fennell v. Adams," should profession of of comof two drachms soda, twenty grains sesquicarbonate not pass away till we have defrayed the costs which Mr. Fennell pound spirits of lavender. and water sufficient to make up six has been driven to occur. ounces : a fourth part of this is given every two or three hours Those of your readers who have not a clear recollection of the in ordinary diarrhoea, and it very rarely fails to cure at once if will find, in the leading articles of’ the various medical case, hot fluids and vegetables are discarded from the diet. If the recitals and commentaries very favourable to Mr. journals, disease has advanced to vomiting, the dose is repeated every Fennell. The Medico-Ethical Society of Manchester have given of an is on hour until the medicine retained the stomach, their powerful quarter testimony to the legitimacy of the plaintiffs which generally happens after the second or third dose; the to the profession " on account of the great and unappealing intervals are then prolonged according to circumstances. The deserved injury that such charges of neglect of duty brought same rule is observed when the spasmodic form of the disease him were calculated to produce." When diarrhoea against occurs, and with equally favourable results. I am quite sure that the uprightness and benevolence of the has preceded the treatment for some days, I have found it useful will concur in this opinion. To subscribe and’ carry to add five minims of tincture of opium, or sometimes ten, to profession Mr. Fennell harmless from the pecuniary cost of the trial is coneach dose of the sulphur mixture, in order that the sulphur may sistent with our profestional character, due to our sense of be retained and absorbed, upon which I believe success to brotherhood and to our love of justice. Thus warm with the depend. I venture to call on my professional brethren, and to subject, In suggesting this mode of treatment for cholera, I do not on the spur of the moment, from the pretty little ballad, wish to disparage the utility of other medicines which have been quote, written by a young lady, and sold in aid of the funds of the which I and most of have from recommended, used; but, prac- Medical Benevolent College :tical experience, I feel no hesitation in saying that almost every °° It needs not great wealth a kind heart to display, of short the treatment profound collapse might by sulphur case If the heart is but wiilm=r, it soon finds a way; be brought to a successful issue. And the poorest one yet, in the humblest abode, I will not trouble you with any theoretical or speculative May help a poor brother a step on the road." notions concerning the modus operandi of the medicine ; work, Your obedient servant, not talk, or res non verba, must now be our motto. CHARLES F. J. LORD. Hampstead, Sept. 17, 1853. I am your obedient servant, P.S. the Since of this date letter, a committee has been JOHN GROVE. Wandsworth, Sept. 1853. formed and a subscription (limited to 10s. 6d.) commenced. See the advertising columns of THE LANCET. MALIGNANT OR ASIATIC CHOLERA. DEATHS FROM RELIANCE ON USELESS AND HURTFUL NOSTRUMS.

of THE LANCET. letter of mine appeared

To the Editor

in your journal SIR,-On this subject a for November 3rd, 1849, when the cholera " was ding away," and when hundreds had lost their lives by reliance on such. I raised my voice then, because I had witnessed what h,d taken place. I breathe the strain again, in the hope of warning the too credulous public from facing into the like snare.

THE VACCINATION EXTENSION BILL. To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-In looking over your abstract of the Vaccination Extension Bill, (p. 251 ) it does not appear that the Poor-Law Commissioners are empowered to recommend the guardians of each district to contract only with the parish surgeon; and yet this is being done, and addresses are issued explaining to the people