Herald Of The Times

CHOLERA.—Much alarm was excited among our citizens yesterday, in consequence of the appearance of two cases (ladies) of aggravated cholera morbus, in this town, both of which, we regret to state, proved fatal. The facts are briefly these.

The sloop Hero, Capt. Read, from New-York, after remaining at quarantine here for eight days, was permitted to land her passengers yesterday morning, all of whom, no doubts were entertained, were free from any sickness whatever.—

It appears, however, as has since been ascertained, that the persons deceased, had for some days previous to their leaving the sloop, been laboring under a slight affection of the bowels, and on Tuesday, at a late hour in the afternoon, partook very freely of cold green peas, which were but little more than half cooked.— The inevitable consequence of this was; they were seized in the night, with every symptom of cholera morbus; and from a criminal desire to conceal their sickness until they could get on shore, passed themselves off with a great effort, as being in good health. They were landed at 8 o'clock yesterday morning, and were taken in a hack to the house of Mr. Burges Horswell, a relation of one of them, below the Hay Scales, in Spring-street, and from the time they were first seized to the moment medical advice was had twelve hours had actually intervened.—

Dr. Dunn, the physician called, found them both in a collapsed state. The physicians, generally, visited them, but all their efforts to save them proved unavailing. Miss Horswell died about 5 o'clock p. m. and Miss Peckham died at 1 o'clock, this morning.

Miss Horswell was the daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Horswell, of Utica, N. Y., and Miss Peckham was the daughter of Mr. Joshua Peckham of this place, both of whom had recently been visiting their friends in Utica and elsewhere.

In addition to the above particulars, we are informed by the passengers who came in the Hero, that the manner of living of those females during their stay on board, was a general subject of remark. They came on board the sloop while loading in New-York, and remained in her state rooms (seldom going on deck) until she was ready to sail, a period of several days, and after her arrival here still preferred to remain on board the sloop, which was very closely stowed with freight, rather than to accompany the rest of the passengers to Rose Island, subsisting during the whole quarantine upon crackers, cheese and cake, up to the time of eating so voraciously, of the cold and half cooked peas—and drinking, we are informed, the water which had been brought for the supply of the sloop during the passage.

The physicians we are assured, although the final termination of these cases was very analogous to the descriptions given of the malignant cholera, express their entire conviction that had the complaint been taken in its early stages, the lives of these imprudent, but unfortunate females, might have been easily saved. We hope our inhabitants, as well as those on the island, will not be operated upon by any unnecessary fears: predisposing causes, so distinct and aggravated in their character as those which produced death in the above cases, are enough to dissipate all apprehensions in relation to the nature of the complaint.

It is a part of the duty we owe to our readers, and the community at large, to place before them as nearly in its true light as possible, every thing of importance connected with a subject of such exciting interest and the public may rest assured, that as long as we are permitted by Him whose right it is to reign, to remain at our post in the fulfilment of our duty, we shall not suppress any facts respecting the disease called cholera, that may come to our knowledge.