The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-13

PROBABLE HUMBUG We have carefully watched
the progress of the cholera excitement, since Its
commencement, to the present time-noted down
the circumstances from which it arose, and Inves-
tigated every thing connected with it-and we are
very much of opinion that 1, had little foundation
IN fact. but arose nom poect set on foot by a
Jew spectators. headed by the Nec York Express,
for their own selfish purposes r-l
1t is we'll known that during the passage of the
picket ship New York to this port, several malg
mi and fatal OF cholera morbus occurred on
board, which were treated by Captain Lines, the
m ster of the ship, (who appears, from his state
ment published in yesterdays paper, to be some
thing of a family physician,) in the usual way.
This disease was, in his opinion, nothing but cho-
lera mobus, ard had its origin, no doubt, an
healthy atmosphere In the ship, arising from
the confinement of large number OF passengers
in small space, increased and aggravated by bad
food When the vessel arrived at the Quaran-
tine, those of the passengers who were sick were
removed to the hospital; and as soon as the intel
ligence got to the of certain parties Staten
Island, they Immediately raised the cry that the
Aslatic cholera was among us, and was raging
with great malignty; knowing, at the same time,
we are confident, that the statement was grossly
exaggerated, If not false. Those parties are
owners of land On the island, and for long time
past have been moving heaven and earth to have
the quarantine establishment removed from there,
with the expectation that their property would be
thereby much enhanced in value. The arrival of
this vessel, the refore, with few sick passengers,
at a period when it was not at all improbable that
the real cholera osphyria might be expected, was
quite godsend to them, and they determined at
once to avail themselves ofit, by creating an excite
ment that would favor their project of getting the
Quarantine removed. They accordingly hurried to
this city, spread the report that the cholera at
the island and in order to insure it having an effect,
they procured one or two journals to give currency
to their exaggerated reports, and fan the fame of
excitement. That atrocous Journal the Nec York
Express, joined IN this monstrous movement of
tie spectators at once, and in flaming terms pro-
claimed that that dire epidemic, the Asiatic
cholera, had reached cur shores. AS matter of
course, the alarm great, and pervaded all
classes of society. The movement was concurred
in by other journals which were in the interest of
those specu ators, and the consequence was that
in few days the whole extent of our country was
alarmed
Now, from the commencement OF this excite
ment to the present we have had no authentic or
reliable opinion from any medical man familiar
with the cholera osplgria, that the epidemic at
Staten Island was OF that character. The Health
Officer at Quarantine never has stated IN his re-
ports that the disease with which the patients in
the hospital attached to that establishment are af-
fecied, is the Aslatlc cholera, and our Board Of
Health IN New York, have been silent on the same
subject having, in fact, made any report at all
in the premises. In addition to all this we have
the fact, that when the AsIatIc cholera occurred
here IN 1892 1t was not confined to any particular
place or locality, but broke out simultaneously in
all parts of the city whereas, with the exception
of single case, which was, no doubt, a case of
common cholera morbus, proceeding from filth
and want of ventilation in house In Greenwich
street, the epidemic has been confined to that par
tcular part of Staten Island where the Quarantine
institution is located.
These circumstances, together with the state
ment put forward by the captain of the packet ship
New World, justify, we think, the assumption,
that we are as free from the presence OF Asatic
cholera as we were months since. This is
not our opinion alone, for it is concurred by all
the respectable physicians with whom we have
conversed on the subject.
What punishment, therefore, can be severe
enough fer those heartless spectators Of Staten
Island, who, with the sole object Of promoting
their own selfish vlews would thus trile with the
lives of their fellow citizens, and work upon their
fears In such dreadful way, for the purpose of
adding few dollars per acre TO the value of their
land on that island
But what can be said of those journals-the most
prominent OF which in this atrocOus business Is
tie E9prcss-who lent their columns to the propa-
CATION OF those schemes, and encouraged and as
sisted the others in thus tihing with the very
lives of our citizens, IN helping to the extent of
their power, to forward the schemes of those
SPECTATORS by such villanous means!
Let the public, then, be on their guard. Let them
be assured that there is no terrible cause for alarm
Let them bear IN mind the parties who originate
those awful reports, and the journals which AZ
and assisted them in this vile transaction
Tug MEDICINE WoRKs-Our amlable