Cholera Surrounding Harpers Ferry

THE CHOLERA.
Health of the City.– The deaths in this city last week were only SEVENTEEN, one of which was of malignant Cholera.– Boston Gaz.
—

In another column we publish the weekly report, which has been so anxiously looked for, since the Board of Health have ceased to make a daily report: it shows, conclusively, that the thousand alarming rumors in relation to the health of the city circulated a few days past are altogether unfounded. The total deaths for the week ending on Saturday last, at 3 A.M. are 324, of which 138 were by malignant Cholera. Let us look a little more narrowly into the report. The following is a statement of the interments for the first four days of last week, viz:
On Sunday 26th, August 45 by Cholera 25
On Monday, 27th ” 65 do 15
On Tuesday, 28th ” 42 do 15
On Wednes. 29th ” 38 do 18
On Thursday, 30th ” average 45 do 15
On Friday, 31st ” average 45 do 15
On Saturday, Sept. 1st average 54 do 15
Total Inspector’s Report [total deaths] 324 [total deaths cholera [138]

To show the state of the health of the city since Cholera first appeared among us, we make the following recapitulation of the city Inspector’s weekly reports:

For the week end’g 14th July 510, of Cholera 336.
” ” 21st ” 887 do 716
” ” 28th ” 879 do 689
” ” 4th Aug. 580 do 383
” ” 11th ” 467 do 281
” ” 18th ” 444 do 222
” ” 25th ” 391 do 178
” ” 1st Sept. 324 do 138
Total deaths in 8 weeks. 4482, of Chol. 2943
[New York Mercantile.]
—

BALTIMORE, Sept. 5.
The Board of Health report 21 deaths by Cholera, for the 24 hours ending at 10 o’clock this morning, — 9 white, and 12 colored persons.
—
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.
Report of Cholera cases by the Board of Health for the 24 hours, ending at noon on Wednesday:

Central Hospital.
NEW CASES.
7 white men, intemperate
5 do do temperate
Total, 12– Deaths 5.
Remaining from last report 11. Cured 1
Foreigners: English 1, Dutch 6, French 1, Irish 4.

Western Hospital.
1 white man, intemperate
1 do woman, do

Eastern Hospital.
1 white man, intemperate
1 colored do do— 1 death

Private Practice.
New cases: 22 white, 9 colored. Total 30; deaths. 5
TOTAL: New Cases: 46 — Deaths 11.
—

Extract of a letter to the Editors of the National Intelligencer, dated
LEESBURG, (Va.) Sept. 3, 1832.
“The reports of the existence of the Cholera, and of its mortality along the line of the Canal are greatly exaggerated. On Monday last the four sections (12 miles) immediately above the Point of Rocks, afforded, out of 266 men, but two cases of indisposition, and those were of the most ordinary bilious fever. From thence to the head of Harper’s Ferry falls (14 miles) all the contractors and laborers were in good health, except that a single death had occurred on that day, of a person who had been taken sick in church, at Harper’s Ferry, the day (Sunday) preceeding. On my return there, last Saturday, it had been ascertained that this was a case of cholera; and in the interim fourteen deaths had occurred on the three sections at, or immediately above, and below the bridge. All these cases were of the prevailing epidemic, it is now confidently believed; but till Saturday, the disease was confined to the shanties on these sections.– On that day the driver of the hearse, which took the dead to their graves, was himself taken, and yesterday (Sunday) he died. The Priest who attended to the sick and the dying was also taken, but was much relieved on being immediately bled. Finally, one of the Physicians was seized with the disorder early on Sunday, and I left him ill. As I came down the line, through the infected sections, I found no case of any disease whatever, and many of the laborers still remained, and some were in a state of apparent intoxication. The alarm produced by the mortality, (for all had died who were taken except the Priest and Physician, remaining at the town across the bridge,) had spread some distance below; and the Contractor of the entrance at the defile of Harper’s Ferry falls, who told me he had neither lost a hand nor had one sick since he had been at work on the line, had discharged his hands, and left the line of the canal with his family for Chambersburg. On reaching the sections immediately above Point of Rocks, ten miles below the place to which I have adverted, I found the reports from Harper’s Ferry greatly magnified; and learnt that, on the preceding day, two cases of Cholera, both terminating fatally had occurred on the section next the Point.

“On the intermediate sections, and on those above the Harper’s Ferry falls, uncommonly good health prevailed, throughout the line of the canal, where probably fifteen hundred persons were at work during the last week.

“From the facts which I gathered, my own belief is, that the disease is not contagious; that it is an endemic, which fastens on those predisposed to its influence; and that after death, the air of the confined apartments of the diseased becomes contaminated, so that those whose constitutions had before resisted the malady, become obnoxious to its influence. Even this effect may be prevented by proper guards. A young gentleman, one of the assistant engineers on the line of canal, whose office was at Harper’s Ferry, with an intrepid benevolence worthy of all praise, nursed and comforted the dying, and laid out, it may be said, the deceased for interment, when no pious hand was stretched out by others for their relief. He used the spirits of camphor freely during these sad, but to others seemingly dangerous offices; and not only escaped unhurt, but has never been in better health during his four years service on the canal. It should not offend his delicacy to say, that he is of Connecticut, a graduate of New Haven, Mr. Charles B. Fisk. He informed me that the general health of the valley of the Potomac had, within his knowledge, never been so good as during the present autumn. In a few days, it is to be hoped, that the labor on the deserted sections may be safely resumed, after which, by the provision of comfortable quarters and proper nurses for the sick, the laborers will be sure of being properly taken care of, if the disease returns; and by ceasing to be fatal, it will lose nearly all its terrors for the living. This provision, both policy and humanity require from the Canal Company and its Officers.”