EDITORIAL. 
95 
some type. — sometimes so slight as to escape the observation of the 
patient. Nor had he known of a case where this premonitory symp- 
tom had been attended to, that had progressed to the malignant stage 
of the disease. 
The circular of the British Board of Health before alluded to, lays 
great stress on the importance of a constant watchfulness over the diet 
and clothing during the prevalence of a cholera atmosphere. " When- 
ever Asiatic cholera is epidemic, there is invariably found among great 
numbers of the inhabitants an extraordinary tendency to irritation of 
the bowels ; and this fact suggests that every article of food which is 
known to favor a relaxed state of the bowels, should, as far as possi- 
ble be avoided, — such as every variety of green vegetables, as cab- 
bage, cucumbers, salad &e." A safe plan is for each to revert to his 
own experience, and refrain from whatever has caused gastric and in- 
testinal irritation, and as a general rule avoid articles having much in- 
digestible vegetable fibre, as beans, celery, &c. Fresh meats 
are better than salted, and in fact the ready digestibility of the diet, is 
the best criterion to follow in selecting it. Sudden and wide depar- 
tures from either the quantity or quality of the usual diet are however 
to be deprecated, as such changes are more likely to bring on a de- 
rangement of the alimentary canal, than a gradual accommodation of 
the diet to the prescribed regimen. This attention should be constant — 
a single act of indiscretion may place the subject beyond the reach of 
physic. We well recollect an instance of this during the last cholera 
season in this city, a carrier, or barrow-man attached to one of the 
hospitals, whose duty it was to bring the patients to the establishment 
on the portable bed, then used for the purpose. This individual also 
had partial charge of the green house where the dead were placed pre- 
vious to their burial. Having obtained leave of absence from Saturday 
until Monday,he took advantage of Sunday to have an old-fashioned din- 
ner of bacon and cabbage. The next day found him a patient, and soon 
after he was an occupant of the dreary apartment he had superintended 
— a sacrifice to his temerity. Whilst this attention to the quality of the 
diet is so strongly recommended, there should not be any attempt at 
fasting. 11 The intervals between the meals should be regular, and not 
too long : cholera being uniformly found to prevail with extraordinary 
intensity, among the classes that observe the protracted fasts common 
in Eastern and some European countries. 7, 
" On account of the intimate connection between the external skin 
and internal lining membrane of the bowels, warm clothing is of great 
importance. The wearing of flannel next to the skin is therefore ad- 
visable," and any course preventive of sudden checks to perspiration 
should be observed. During the prevalence of cholera — especially in 
