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^^ Document No. 11. [Session
seized with unmistakeable symptoms of the malady which as-sumed
a very serious character, hut yielded to treatment as
rapidly as could he expected, under the circumstances. With
the convalescence of this patient, all apprehensions of a con-tinuance
of the disease subsided, as no additional cases followed
immediately in the same or other wards of the building.
This feeling of security was soon destined to disappointment,
for in the course ofa few weeks, new cases, and of more violent
type, simultaneously appeared in different portions of the
male department. The lapse of a few days more presented
additional cases, some of them in the female department,
and all characterized with unusual severity.
In the general advance of the disease, which had now be-come
epidemic, involving alike both the infirm and the
robust, the males equally with the females, the old and
young, the officers, attendants, and many of the domestics.
For several months the different wards continued to furnish
fresh victims, until three-fourths of the occupants were pros-trated
by the disease. In the history of the Institution there
has occurred no visitation which can approximate in the
slightest degree, to this wide-spread, and distressing pesti-lence,
which raged within its walls during the months of
June, July, August and September.
Although it has ceased to exist at the present time as an
epidemic, cases of a well marked character occasionally present
themselves, while its effects are still discernable upon others
whose constitutional energies were unequal to the task of re-sisting
and overcoming the immediate consequences of the first
attack.
Under these circumstances, the degree of mortality as above
stated, should not be a matter of surprise, but rather one of
congratulation and thankfulness that it was not much
greater ; especially, when the difficulties incident to the man-agement
of the insane, and the already impaired constitutional
energies of a large number from pre-existing disease, are duly
estimated. To this latter cause, no doubt, many of the cases
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| Title | Page 698 |
| Full Text | ^^ Document No. 11. [Session seized with unmistakeable symptoms of the malady which as-sumed a very serious character, hut yielded to treatment as rapidly as could he expected, under the circumstances. With the convalescence of this patient, all apprehensions of a con-tinuance of the disease subsided, as no additional cases followed immediately in the same or other wards of the building. This feeling of security was soon destined to disappointment, for in the course ofa few weeks, new cases, and of more violent type, simultaneously appeared in different portions of the male department. The lapse of a few days more presented additional cases, some of them in the female department, and all characterized with unusual severity. In the general advance of the disease, which had now be-come epidemic, involving alike both the infirm and the robust, the males equally with the females, the old and young, the officers, attendants, and many of the domestics. For several months the different wards continued to furnish fresh victims, until three-fourths of the occupants were pros-trated by the disease. In the history of the Institution there has occurred no visitation which can approximate in the slightest degree, to this wide-spread, and distressing pesti-lence, which raged within its walls during the months of June, July, August and September. Although it has ceased to exist at the present time as an epidemic, cases of a well marked character occasionally present themselves, while its effects are still discernable upon others whose constitutional energies were unequal to the task of re-sisting and overcoming the immediate consequences of the first attack. Under these circumstances, the degree of mortality as above stated, should not be a matter of surprise, but rather one of congratulation and thankfulness that it was not much greater ; especially, when the difficulties incident to the man-agement of the insane, and the already impaired constitutional energies of a large number from pre-existing disease, are duly estimated. To this latter cause, no doubt, many of the cases |
