CHOLERA, ASIATIC. 



was said to have caused 40,000 deaths, and in the 

 empire of Austria over 100,000. About 300 

 cities and districts in Europe were visited by it. 

 In October and November it visited Amiens, 

 where 1,000 perished in the first few days out 

 of a population of 05,000 ; Antwerp, where 

 from 40 to 50 died daily ; Berlin, where there 

 were from 50 to 80 deaths daily ; Delft, where 

 in 396 cases there were 220 deaths. 



In New York, the Metropolitan Board of 

 Health was organized in March, with extraor- 

 dinary powers, and permission, by appeal to the 

 Governor, for the exercise of almost despotic 

 authority during the apprehended presence of 



the epidemic. They immediately commenced 

 daily sessions, and by the most energetic meas- 

 ures fought the progress of the disease inch by 

 inch. New York, and the remainder of the 

 Metropolitan District, had never been so clean, 

 and at the first appearance of the disease in any 

 quarter, the most thorough cleansing and dis- 

 infection were practised, and thus the disease 

 was kept within control and at no time assumed 

 a very formidable character. Its first appear- 

 ance, as in the previous year, was in the steam- 

 ships from Europe. The following table gives 

 very fully the particulars in regard to all those . 

 which had cholera on board : 



Died from cholera during passage of all the fore- 

 going-named vessels 485 



Died from other diseases during passage of all 



the foregoing-named vessels 101 



Died on board above-named vessels in quaran- 

 tine 43 



Of whom were cholera patients 35 



Admissions on board the Falcon, with cholera. . 398 

 Admissions on board the Falcon, with other dis- 

 eases 199 



Discharged from the Falcon 385 



Died on board hospital-ship Falcon 206 



Of whom were cholera patients 186 



Percentage of deaths from cholera in hospital. . . 51 



There were a few isolated cases of cholera 

 in New York in May and the early part of 

 June, cases for the most part clearly traceable 

 to the cholera ships at quarantine, though in 

 some instances probably cholera morbus was 

 mistaken for Asiatic cholera. The week ending 

 June 16, was the first in which cholera began 

 to be reported in the weekly mortuary records. 

 From that time onward to October 13, when it 

 ceased to appear in the list of causes of deaths, 

 the following were the weekly returns of the 

 Registrar of Vital Statistics of the number of 

 deaths attributable to Asiatic cholera in New 

 York City: 



It is a little remarkable that the two weeks 

 of its greatest intensity in New York (an in- 

 tensity caused by its outbreak in the almshouses 

 and workhouses of Blackwell's Island), should 

 have corresponded so nearly with the period of 

 its greatest intensity in London. The two 

 weeks in which the mortality was greatest in 

 London, as has been already stated, were those 

 ending July 28, and August 4 ; the two in New 

 York were August 4, and August 11. The 

 epidemic on Blackwell's Island, though sharp, 

 was very short in its duration. The thorough 

 and prompt measures which were taken for the 

 complete disinfection and purification of all tho 



