The fast and the cholera : a sermon, preached in the Unitarian chapel, Boston, on Tuesday, September 25th, 1849, (being the day agreed upon to be observed in the borough, as a day of fasting and humiliation, in consequence of the extreme prevalence of the cholera) / by James Malcolm, ... to which is appended, a brief, practical view of the Asiatic cholera, by A.G. Malcolm, M.D.

Malcolm, James, 1811-1855.

Date:: 1849

Credit: The fast and the cholera : a sermon, preached in the Unitarian chapel, Boston, on Tuesday, September 25th, 1849, (being the day agreed upon to be observed in the borough, as a day of fasting and humiliation, in consequence of the extreme prevalence of the cholera) / by James Malcolm, ... to which is appended, a brief, practical view of the Asiatic cholera, by A.G. Malcolm, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

14/32 (page 6)

$(lered so abhorrent to truth, when the phraseology in which we have long uttered our prayers, comes to be the same now used in high places of the Church. But the purport of the prayer seems not to be altogether so unobjectionable. That we should ask God to remove from us any physical sulfering, or not visit us with any affliction which, in the order of his providence, and according to the immutable laws of nature, may come upon us—the immediate causes of which we can often ascertain, and over which we our¬ selves have much control—seems to me to be a flying in the face of Providence, an appeal to God to reverse his own laws, to work a miracle on our behalf, while we ourselves use not all the ordinary means of mitigation that lie w ithin our own power—in fact, a prayer for the removal of the effect, w bile the superinducing cause still remains in all its virulent activity! Should it, for instance, be clearly ascertained that the present pestilence has been caused, or at the least, ag¬ gravated, by long neglected deposits of filth, or want of drainage, or want of cleanliness, or from crowding ourselves too closely together, while there is room elsewhere, in abundance, the disease must take its place among the ascertained and regular phenomena of the universe. Now, my friends, already much of this has been done. We are told that the course of the pestilence has been observed to be almost as regular as that of a stream. Twice, within eighteen years, it has now visited Europe, pursuing nearly the same course, falling most heavily on tlie same cities, and on similar classes of persons, and sparing others. It has conhned itself also, only to some parts of those cities, and, with some exceptions, spared and afflicted the same parts each time. Its march is calculable, if not exactly regular. It is, therefore, more systematic to our senses, and submissive to our calculations, than the atmospliere.* Do you expect, then, with these facts before you, that a miracle wall be wrought by this day’s humiliation —that * “It is important,” observes the Hegistrar General, in his last rve])ort, “ to hear in mind, that cholera only brings into a strong light, the localities in which elaborate calculation in the annual Heports proves to be at all times fatal to the health and life of the inhabi¬ tants ! The returns of the last three months have supplied the means of shading out a. map of the metropolis, in exact accordance u'itli the sanitary needs of each locality. Without auy actual \ isitation, we could put our finger on every spot, where the breath of life was vitiated by foul odours, imperfect drainage, or, worst of all. by grave¬ yards overgorged with corpses.”—'fuE 'Fimes, Sep. 8th. !' I'he Standard, I obseine, when advocating the propriety of a$

Licence and re-use

Contents