Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-11-10
THE CHOLERA.

It is well known fact that this dreadful |
scourge is now raging in England, and great
fears are entertained of its appearance on this
side of the Atlantic. Precautionary measures
have been taken in several of the Northern
Cities against its spreading, in case it should
unfortunately reach the American shore. The
following extract on the subject of the Chole.
ra may not be uninteresting to our readers Just
at this time.
DR. John S. Bowron has written letter to
Mayor Havemeyer, of New York, giving some
interesting facts, and making suggestions in
relation 10 the cleanliness of the city, which
may be suited also for this latitude.
"When Cholera first made its appearance
al Calcutta few weeks after its first appear
ance al Jessore, it was completely governed
by the circumstances we have mentioned. II
is well known that the city of Calcutta is in
reality divided into two parasitic English
portion, which has been designated the City
of Palaces and the native town, which is
made up of the miserable huts and habitations
of the poor and wretched people of that coun.
try. The English portion, in consequence o:
it's cleanliness and free ventilation, was al
most totally exempt from the ravages of Chol-
era, while the native town, inhabited by the
poor and destitute. and Astounding in all kinds
Of. filth and nncleanliness, was visited by the
most frghtful destruction of human life. The
pestience swept through the town, with all
the destructive fury of fire.
In every Eastern city or :own the same
facts were always observed Cities situated
on elevated grounds, surrounded by pure air,
and kept perfectly c'ean and we'll ventilated,
uniformly escaped the pestilence, while all
those places where a different condition Of
things existed--ci cities built on low grounds,
surrounded by marshes and malarous districts
of country, were the localities where this des-
oIatlng scourge swept down its victims by
thousands.
In this country the same facts were uni
formly witnessed. All places Astounding with
accumulated human filth and wretchedness,
its fury. In this city, all those sections where
vast numbers were congregated together. in
miserable hahitatons, reeking with resten-
taI human effluvia, and foul contaminated
atmosphere, the disease spread with desolating
severity, while all those neighbohoods where
cleanly habitatiors, and pure, uncontaminated
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 inhabitants, escaped the presidential
Cholera. The city of Boston, which is distin-
guished for its clean and we'll ventilated streets
and houses, almost entirely escaped from the
ravages of Cholera in 1923.
g 1t would be useless to vast. time in Gnu
meratng facts, which are precisely similar ir
every part of the world. II is now fully de-
monstrated, that with ample and abundan
means, and with full power in the municipal
authorities, almost every city in the United
States might escape from the ravages Of Chol
era, or at least its visitation might be made sc
mild, that it would almost pass by unheeded y