stances peculiarly painful and trying. Several of them
had been taken suddenly and severely sick, and one or two were almost
dead before they were fairly aroused to a sense of danger. They lived,
however, quite remote from any village, and were strongly prejudiced
against both physicians and medicine. But a fearful foe, in the shape of
typhoid dysentery, now assailed them, and handled them so roughly that
they laid aside their prejudices for the moment, and cried aloud for
help.

I was soon on the spot, but, oh, what a scene presented itself! As I
have more than intimated, two of the family were already beyond hope.
Others seemed likely to die. What was to be done for them, as I saw
plainly, must be done quickly. On nearly every countenance I met with,
both within the family and beyond its precincts, were the marks of
consternation, and on some, of despair.

In these circumstances--for desperate cases require a desperate
remedy--I sought the counsels of an older physician. He came immediately
and took a survey of the dreadful field of slaughter. On retiring with
him for consultation, he immediately said; "There must be some local
cause or causes for all this. Have you," he added, "been into the
cellar?" When I replied in the negative, he said, "Then we must go there
immediately."

On speaking to the lady of the house, who was among the sick, by the way
of asking permission, she objected, and with a good deal of promptitude
and spirit. However, she at length yielded, and we made a thorough
examination. The results of this examination were such as to confirm
our suspicions. "We need not search further for the causes of a deadly
disease," said Dr. B., and I thought so too.

I have said already that the family was wealthy; but wealth need not
include negligence, and still more filth. It was now September; and I am
quite of opinion that the cellar had not been cleaned in one year,
perhaps not in two. I had seen many farmers' cellars before, but I had
never seen such an one as this. Nor do I believe my consulting physician
ever had, though he was some twenty years older in medical practice than
myself. Nor am I certain that what I may state will appear to you wholly
reliable.

In the first place there were, in abundance, cabbage leaves and stumps
in a semi-putrid state. Next there were decayed potatoes, turnips,
beets, and apples. Then there were in various parts of the cellar
remnants of cider and vinegar, and cider le