The daily crescent., 1848-11-16

THE CHoLERA.-Dr. John S, Bowron, Zone of
the Medical Committee on the cholera in 1887 has
addressed letter to the Mayor of New York upon
the Asiatie cholera, and the means of preventing
its ravages, in which he says that the Santory Com
mittee of Great Britain sustain all the opinions ad-
vanced by the Medical Committee of New York
fifteen years since. The following facts are urged
by DR.. B. upon the Mayor and Common Council,
and are equally deserving of attention here:
In a communication of this kind it would be i'm
possible to give even general statement of the
cumulated mass Of evidence that has been collected
in every country where the cholera has prevailed,
showing eonclusively that in all parts of the
world cleanliness, free ventilation and temperance,
united with the ordinary comforts Of life, are
never-faiing preventive of the prevalence of cho-
lera; and that filth and uncleanliness abound
ing in cities and the habitations of the poor and
prohigate portion Of the community, united with
atmospheric gases, the unfailing sources from
which the infection of cholera is generated and
propagated
A very few facts will be sufficient to prove to the
satisfaction Of every one the truth of these posi-
tions. When cholera first made its appearance in
Calcutta, few weeks after its first appearance at
Jessore it was completely governed by the circum-
stances we have mentioned.
Ii is well known that the city of Calcutta is in
reality divided into two parts-the English portion
which has been designated the City of Palaces"
fand the native town, which is made up of the mise
fabe huts and habitatons of the poor and wretched
people of that country. The English portion, in
consequence of its cleanliness and free ventilation,
was almost totally exempt from the ravages of cho-
lera; while the native town, inhabited by the poor
and destitute, and abounding in all kinds of filth
and uncleanlness, visited by the most frightful
destruction of human life. The pestilence swept
through the town with all the destructive fury of fire.
In every Eastern city or town the same facts
were always observed. Cities situated on elevated
grounds surrounded by pure air, and kept perfectly
clean and well ventilated, uniformly escaped the
pestence while all those places where different
condition of things existed -c cities built on low
grounds, surrouded by marshes and malarious dis
tricts Of country were the localities where this
scourge swept down its victims by thousands
In this country the same facts were uniformly
witnessed. All places abounding with accumu-
lated human filth and wretchedness were the local
tiles where the pestilence spent its fury. In this
city all those sections where vast numbers were
congregated together, in miserable habitations,
reeking with pestential human effiuyia, and foul,
contaminated atmosphere, the disease spread with
desolating severity, while all those neighborhoods
where cleanly habitatiOns, and pure, uncontami-
mated air existed, there, cholera did not prevail.
Nearly all those cities in the United States which
are distinguished for the cleanliness Of their streets
and houses and the temperance Of their inhabi-
tants escaped the pestential cholera. The city of
Boston, which is distinguished for its clean and
well ventilated streets and houses, almost entirely
escaped from the ravages of cholera in 1898.