The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-02
The Cholera In the United States.

The Cholera In the United States.
The attention of the public is attracted to this
scourge, IN the general belief that it will shortly
visit these shores.
The municipal government Of Washington city is
the fret to move officially, in the business Of prepar
Ing the reception of the disease The councils of
the city adopted resolutions last week requesting the
Board Of Health to give general instructions the
subject and to see that everything proper Ia done;
also appointing pecia committee to act in concert
with the Board of Health.
afrend, by Dr. Charles Jackson, Of Boston. It will
be noticed that he thinks New England will again
cape and the reasons he gives for this expectation
do not believe that the Asiatic cholera will prevail
to any considerable extent in the New England States
the character Of the country appears to
believe made reference to the inf uence of oalcare-
GUS coils the induction Of cholera in my letters to
DR.. James jackson, the cholera in Vienna, which
letters were published In the autumn Of 1892 in the
Boston Medical Magazine.
delivered In Boston on the 3lst December, 1884, and
have several times since repeated in this and other
places where have lectured:-
The progress of the Asiatic cholera shows that
there is such thing as medical geology, for the cities
situated on limestone or tertiary soils have always
suffered most severely from that scourgeo
have repeatedly advised that on the occurrence Of
the cholera in this country, persons who might be
primary regions of New England
We have right to infer, that since 1t never has
visited the granite countries Of Switzerland or Tyro
in Europe, while it followed the calcsreous districts
around and since 1t did not occur in the primary dis
tricts of Maine, New Hampshire Vermont, or Massa-
ckusetts; while 1t did follow the cacareous formations
through Canada, New York, Ohio and along the Mis-
sssippi-tbat the cacareous soil or waters had much
to do with the production of the disease.
We know that the bowels of any eastern man who
travels through the cacareous districts of the western
States much disturbed by the action of bcarbonate
of lime, which is contained in tie water and hence
might naturally infer that such disturbing cause
might render the constitution more liable to the cho
lera which has its seat in the stomach and small in
testnes.
Take map of the globe and trace the of the
AISLE tic cholera, and then examine into the geological
character its track and you will ind that it is cal
careous and that the principal "nduses Gf may so,
call them) of the disease, were on tertiary bottoms,
where the springs and well waters highly charged
with salts Of lime Vienna and Paris the two best
known Of the caeareous tertiary basins and in those
cities you well knew the cholera committed its most
It is to be hoped that the introduction of the Coch
tuate waterinto Boston, will salutary to the
pie in than have been generally thought of
would observe that although Boston well water
ains salts of lime in large proportions there but
few wells that con tain much Of the boarbonate; and
the murate of lime and sulphate Of lime do not
the peculiar disturbances resulting from what
Your obedient servant and friend
CHARLES T. JACKSON.
Nnw YouK, Oct 80, 1s4s
HoE. VIM. F. HArEMEYER, Mayor
The rapid approach of cholera toward the Western
hemisphere is very naturally engrossi"g large share
fpublic attention. The frightful amount of mortal
country, creates considerable anxiety in the public
mind leads people to Inquire as to the best means
that might be adopted to mitigate IL not to
the ravages of this desolsting pestilence
In 1888 had the honor to be appointed member Of
. arge and able committee of medical men in refer
ence to this subject, and subsequently was chosen
chairman OF portion of the committee to investigate
the nature and origin Of the Asstc cholera. This
pontment of necessity led me to make very thorough
examination Of all the
ted with the origin and progress Of that disease since
nf hi0hU ffcafi Inn IN nd hat fha
sons arrived at by our committee, at that time have
been fully and completely sustained BY all subsequent
missoners appointed in Great Brisin during the last
year have unanimously made report embracing pre-
Medical Committee of New York. fifteen years ago.
Indeed, these facts and conclusions now 80 COM
pleely establi, he'd that without any hesita
ton declare that tie circumstances and causes which
for the production of cholera are entire
y under the control Of proper sanatory regulations
will not admit Of any doubt, that, by expenditure
of less than half of what fooshly squandered
in 1892 the prevalence Of cholera in New York might
In communication of this kind it would be impos-
sble to give general statement Of the accumu-
lated Of evidence that has been collected in every
country where cholera has prevailed, showing, most
conclusively that in all parts of the world, cleanli
ordinary comforts of life, never +, ling proven.
tive Of the prevalence of cholera; and that filth and
f th 3d. CITES arc .ne
united with atmospheric causes, are the unfang
sources from which the infection Of cholera Is gene
very few facts will be sufficient to prove to the sa-
tfaction Of every the truth of these positions
When cholera first made its appearance at Calcutta,
few weeks after Its first appearance at Jessore was
completely governed by the circumstances we have
IT, in reality divided into two parts-the English por-
ton which has been designated the "Cty OF Palaces"
and the native town. which is made up Of the misera
Bile huts and hsbitations Of the poor and wretched
people of that country. The English portion, in
sequence Of its cleanliness and free ventilation,
while the native town Inhabited BY the poor and des
titute, and Astounding in all kinds Of filth and un-
cleanliness, visited by the most rghtfa destruc
town with all the destructive fury Of Ere.
In every eastern city or town the same facts were
rounded by pure air and kept perfectly clean and
well ventilated uniformly escaped the pestilence while
all those places where different condition of things
existe d. cities built on low grounds surrounded by
marshes and malarous districts Of country, the
localities where this desolang scourge swept down its
In this country the same facts were uniformly wit
messed. All places aoounding with accumulated hu-
the pestilence spent its fury In this city all those
sections where vast numbers were congregated toge-
ther, In miserable habtations reeking with pestilen
phere, the disease spread with desolatpg severity;
while all those neighborhoods where cleanly hsbita-
tions, and pure taminated air existed, there
cholera did not prevail Nearly all those cities In the
United States which distinguished for the ceani-
ness of streets and houses and the temperance Of
their inhabitants escaped the pestile initial cholera
The city Of Boston, which is distinguished for its clean
and welventated streets and houses, almost entire
ly escaped from the ravages Of cholera In 1882 g.
IL would be useless to waste time in enumerating
facts which precisely similar in every part Of the
world. II is now fully demonstrated that with ample
and abundant means and with full power In the NUM-
cipal authorities almost every city in the United
States might escape from the ravages cholera or at
least it's visitation ght be made mild that IL would
almost pass by UNDECIDED The city of New York is
located in Of the most healthy places in the world
and, with proper municipal regulations might be made
most solemn obligation upon the Common Council to
institute forthwith to have every section of