The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-09
THE CHOLERA.


This terrible disease is rapidly approach
ing the confines of this District, Of this city
and yet we hear of no extraordinary prophy-
tactic efforts being seton foot. We sac no
armies of scavengers cleansing the streets,
lanes, alleys and by-ways Of the city, no
professions Of carts hauling away the accu-
INFLATED and constantly accommodating filth,
We hear Of no domiciliary visits from block
sanitary committees, insisting upon cleanli-
ness in the habitations Of our citizens, their
court-yards and premises We hear Of no
regulations, under fine or forfeiture, COM
polling the deposIte Of the remains about
every dwelling in portable barrels, for the
purpose Of easy tt ansportation. We do not
see the alleys and street-gutters white with
quick lime, nor do we hear Of its use in the
cellars and court-yards Of the inhabitants.
True, here and there, we see some signs Of
hygeinic effort, but they are few and far
between. The city government ought to
set the example Of prophylactic efforts.
Money ought to be poured out like water,
to cleanse the city in every part Of it, cen
tire and suburbs, and if there be not enough
in the treasury, the most extraordinary means
ought to be adopted to obtain it. No mig
gardly stint ought to prevail in the public
councils now We can keep the Cholera
away from US, if we try, if we desire to do
SO, if we have any regard for our own lives
and the lives of our .fellow-ctizens. The
rich and the well-to-de,, ought to remember
that they are but the ste wards Of their wealth
and abundance, and that a strict account
will be required of them for the manner in
which they use it. Will they sit calmly
down, at the approach of direful epidemic,
and refuse to give freely Of their substance
to avert it from the poor, who are their
neighbors' Nay, have they not regard for
their own safety The safety Of the whole
city is their safety, and this consideration
should induce those who have the means, to
devote it freely to hygenic purposes.
We see that the cleaning out Of the canal
has been extensively discussed oflatc in the
city papers, and that the disposition is, to go
on with this work. We hope, this determi-
nation will be reconsidered 1t should be
remembered, that the canal lies to the South
Of the larger part Of the city, and that the
prevailing South winds Of summer will carry
the miarnasmata, arising from the excavated
substances, into every chamber and house
Of the town The effect may be easily con-
ceived- Such state Of things existed in
Augusta, in Georgia, during the prevalence
Of the cholera in 1899, and the result was,
the desolation Of the town. We cannot
conceive Of project better adapted to
spread disease and death, than the excava-
ton Of the Tiber canal, in ordinary sum-
mers, but to attempt the work during
choleretic state Of atmosphere is worse
than madness. We have attentively read
all that has been said for and against
the scheme, and we have seen nothing to
convince us that there is not imminent dam
ger in prosecuting the work the present
summer. II is against the dictates Of COM
mon sense. We are all daily and hourly
contending for, and admitting the necessity
of, cleansing the streets and houses Of the
city, and yet it is proposed TO lay open the
reservoirs Of the accumulated filth Of ten
years or more to the action Of summer sun,
en- side Of the city whence the prevailing
winds come Was ever hygeinic effort
hike this We repeat, we do hope, that
the authorities will wake up to the danger
that threatens the health Of the city from this
source, and arrest it at once This done,
let them take vigorous steps to cleanse the
city and keep it thoroughly clean, and then
we may defy the ravages Of the pestlence,
SO far as human efforts can arrest it.
After all that can be done in cleansing
the city and our dwellings, and we ought
not to triAe with this matter, but go into it
heart and soul--we should look after our
personal cleanliness and comfort, and our
regimen. On this head, the dictates Of
every mans judgment are sufficient to ena-
BILE him to do that which will tend to the
preservation Of health We have only one
remark to make on this point, and that is
to make no change in your habits Of dress
and eating On the subject of personal
cleanliness, we cannot be too particular.
We shall revert to this subject again 1t
IS not one to sleep npon The enemy is
around us and may be upon us before the
setting Of the sun.
In procaiming 10 the American people the start
ling TACT that the cabinet is The President and tho
man whom they selected TO that high office, In