The Ship Fever in Canada
A letter from Kingston dated August 10th, "The state of the fever at Quebec and Montreal remains the same, but three ships have arrived at Grosse Isle in a condition which far surpasses any previous horrors. The Sir Henry Pottinger sailed from Cork with 399 passengers, she reached the St Lawrence with 112 sick and 98 dead, and the Virginius and John Munn, which left Liverpool with 496 and 425 passengers, respectively, have arrived, the one with 158, and the other with 59 dead, while almost every soul of the survivors was hopelessly ill. Of the crew of the Virginius but 3 are left, the captain and officers having died with the rest, and it is seriously contemplated to scuttle the ship and sink her for a while, as the only means of purifying her from the infection she has absorbed, it is said that every one has abandoned her at Grosse Isle"
Liverpool Mercury, Tuesday, October 26, 1847
Liverpool, Monday Oct 25th
A large timber laden ship, waterlogged, with close-reefed main-topsail set, and ensign union down, apparently recently abandoned, and with Virginius on her stern, was passed 11th Oct, in lat 46, lon 42, by the Duke of Wellington, arrived here. The ship Virginius cleared at Quebec 11th Sept from this port.
Caledonian Mercury Monday, November 1, 1847
Arrived at Greenock on Monday the barque Cuba, BLANCHARD, from Richmond [Virginia] sailed 28th Sept with a cargo of tobacco for Clyde. On the 14th inst in lat 46. 12, long 40. 50. saw vessel with her foretopsail set, closed-reefed, on nearing her found her to be waterlogged, the sea making a passage over her decks, her cutwater torn off, and her head twisted to one side, boarded her, found boats all gone, some provisions and water in tops, where the crew had put them, cabin full of water. On the top of the poop found rough clothes and the ship's cannister in which were the register, proving ship to be the Virginius of Belfast [820tons], John LESLIE, master, consignees letters, manifest, ship's papers and a package addressed to John HARRISON, all of which the master of the Cuba will deliver to his consignees at Glasgow. The master of the Cuba thinks the Virginius had been in contact with an iceberg or ship, and the crew had taken to their boats
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Asiatic Cholera
FIGURES
Liverpool Journal 6th Jan 1849
The dreaded pestilence not withstanding the coldness of the weather still prevails extensively Glasgow in 8 days, 367 new cases, 194 deaths, 79 recoveries. In low districts of the town corpses were found unburied, the alarm occasioned by the attack rendering other occupants to flee and lock the doors behind them. In Dumfries were the ravages were nearly as great as 1832 it was abated and deaths are occurring not exceeding 3 a day. Tuesday last, 1 case in London, Edinburgh 11, Glasgow 177, Moukland 37, Carlisle 2, Belfast 56. [this is daily]
At Tooting 294 cases with to date 112 deaths at an infant pauper house. The malady has also broken out at St Pancreas Workhouse and Hertford Gaol
This is a report concerning the deaths at Tooting
The pauper children farmed out at Tooting.
The frightful rapidity in which the cholera spread in Mr DROUETS establishment at Tooting has exited the scientific world and brought the deep attention of the Benevolent. The sad mortality seems to imply that overcrowding, improper diet, and insufficient clothing have been productive of that susceptibility of disease in the children. An inquest was held on Tuesday last by Mr WAKLEY. M.P. on four victims that died in the Royal Free Hospital after being removed from Mr DROUETS establishment.
Mr DROUET was given 4/6d per head for the children and had 1,300 at his establishment. On visiting last may it was reported that the children were inspected at dinner time the meat was reasonable and the potatoes of which 100 separate plates were used , were black and diseased. The children were standing and inspectors told that they always stood to eat. School rooms, dormitories appeared clean and workshops tidy, the infants sleeping room had a very unhealthy smell. The girls appeared healthy but the boys sickly, the boys were questioned on treatment , 40 held up their hands to intimate dissatisfaction and complained about not having enough food, Mr DROUET became violent and called the boys liars he said they were the worst in the school. and threatened them with a thrashing. On medical inspection two thirds of the children had itch, eruptions of scabies, sore feet, tumid abdomens, lax muscles and diseases joints some had large bellies characteristic of scrofulous patients.
It was concluded that the person responsible for the childrens health was now under a serious charge, guilty though he may be the principle which refuses to condemn before trial and proof of guilt would be respected Expose the poor to cold, hunger and impure air and they feed the Cholera,
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Liverpool Journal
24th Feb 1849
The Cholera, there have been 5 cases in Liverpool since our last. Scotland still continues the seat of the disease, and at Kilmarnock from the 1st inst till their last, 81 cases had occurred. The malady still continues with considerable virulence in Belfast.
A good lady who had two children sick with the measles went to a friend for the best remedy, while the friend had just received a note from another lady inquiring the best way to make pickles. In the confusion the lady inquiring about the pickles received the remedy for measles, while the anxious mother of the sick children, read the following, -
Scald them three or four times in hot vinegar, and sprinkle them well with salt, and in a few days they will be cured.
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Liverpool Journal
24th Feb 1849
Ship fever and smallpox
The packet ship CAMBRIDGE, Capt PEABODY, after a long and boisterous passage from Liverpool, and last from Cork with 338 passengers, 25 of the steerage passengers died on the passage of ship fever and smallpox, and a great many are sick and were taken on shore at Quarantine, New York, 6th Feb.
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