Watching today's outbreak of coronavirus, historians recall in 1830, when a cholera epidemic broke out in Moscow: the streets were empty, government offices, factories, educational institutions, theaters were closed. Quarantine was introduced in the city, entrances and exits were blocked, houses were treated with lime, Muscovites burned foliage, believing that smoke would save from the spread of infection, and they spoke only about one thing - cholera. It was exactly 190 years old. It is noteworthy that the reaction of the urban audience to the then and current events is surprisingly similar in many respects: from complete disbelief to desperate rumors.
You can learn about the events of those years from the correspondence of the diplomat, the Moscow post-director Alexander Yakovlevich Bulgakov with his brother. Vestnik Kavkaza publishes short fragments of his letters, which, according to contemporaries, reflected "all life, the whole movement is state and sociable, events, rumors, cases and gossip, institutions and persons, with fidelity and liveliness":
Different tales go around the city, which cause fear or despondency in the minds of the weak, and this is the majority. Get to the hospital or die revered alone.
They say that priests are forbidden to go home to confess and partake, and so on. Of course, it’s best not to believe such stories, but why are they scattered? ..
Everyone will notice that out of 500 patients, Tokmo 8 is recovering here, and in Yaroslavl from 69 - 20; in Rybinsk, out of 198 - 65 have recovered: therefore, it is better to treat or treat the sick there.
If the central commission transfers to Moscow, everything is better.
Why can't I be wrong? Is my opinion harmful to society? Yes, if no one was afraid and did not believe cholera, would it be worse? I think everyone would be more relaxed, on the contrary. Where do I refute the existence of cholera? .. My opinion could change as the number of patients increased.
Here everyone cholera; garlic rose six rubles.
All garlic, especially in humans; in the club everything is cooked on garlic.
To Dolgorukov’s sister, who was very cowardly, I promised to give a present: a pot of garlic ointment! .. Panchulidzev writes from Saratov that 2,000 people died there and that he himself became ill and got rid of death, spending a half pound of blood.
Precautions will be multiplied. Starting tomorrow, the city’s completely interrupted communication with all the provinces will be interrupted. I am sorry that we will be cut off from Kostya and Pasha. Nothing to do! .. You ask, dear friend, why did all this follow? I really don’t know. Let them show me obsessed with cholera, I will willingly go after them.
Daily experiments prove that the disease is not sticky; not a single mortus became infected, did not die, and did they not rub near the sick? Did Volkov take any precautions in the house? Manure smoked in the courtyard day and night, in the front there was a quarantine, where everyone had to be washed with chlorine water, chlorine stood in all rooms, and so on. Why did Verochka become ill with cholera?
Because if there is a disposition for illness in the body, then you will not leave; and if not, then at least sleep with the sick in the same bed ....
