The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-11-15
Causes or Cholera.

Many important theories have been advanced to ey.
plain the OF the mysterious and dread disease
which, during the last twenty years. has twice swept
over the world, destroying thousands upon thousands of
human beings in its progress yet have been deemed
satisfactory and conclusive in the minds Of the scientific
This scrutiny Of scientific investigations has, how.
ever led to many importan, discoveries. which may ul.
mately end in revealing the causes OF the disease
Among the experiments and discoveries recently made
have more interesting and important than
those Of Dr. Mussey. eminent physician Of Cincin.
natl, which described in the following article which
we copy from the Cincinnati Gazette From these ex.
periments. it would that the theory that cholera
proceeds from animalcus has strong facts for its basis
CHOLERA AsIsALcuL,s importance of the mi.
erosrops in investigating the origin and phenomena OF dis
eases, Is daily becoming apparent Already has il
determined many disputed points 10 medical science and
it destined to siil greater ACHE vements ~
The animacuar theory Of contagion Is likely receive
por'ani and, not the triumphant es,sblishment by It's
That cholera has anmalcular origin IL 40 new theory
bu, u Is recent microscopic revelations which has given
Professor d. Mussey, Of The Ohio Medical College, to
whom we alluded yesterday in the OF OF in.
designations and experiments as eary as the as Of SEP.
tember last discovered in the atmosphere rooms occ
pied by cholera patients anmacues in the greatest sbun
snce snd by series of observations, noted the changes
that daily iook place. and compared these atmospheric
animacues with those found In the disc harges
and the muscle OF cholera patients.
Prot Massey experimental upon specimens Of fluid Oh
taned by the condensation Of vapor by the side choe
Patenson single drop placed under tbs microscope
multitude OF auimalcules were discovered moving In eli
directions In the discharges the sane asi
mais were discovered One OF these animals, viewed
through magniter ot2OO0linear dameters. appears about
one fourth OF an inch long, and with lateral fer
ure OF his body like a serpent on the ground.
These animals exhibit considerable tenacity of lie they
are active at nearly eighty degrees Fahrenheit The
mospheric anim2cues survived thirteen days loosely
eorked phia and the rce-waer animals alive AFTER
fourteen days
In the muscle Of cholera patient taken ten hours se
death, multitudes Of snmacules seen but the
experiment with pa ce Of muscle taken from subject
dead Of erysiPelas discovered not single animalcue
The hydrant water also tested without finding any
Of these animals and the atmosphere OF rooms neigh
borhoods days after the cboera had disa ppcad,
wa, condensed and examined without dctccting am
malcules.
The atmosphere OF In which are small por pa
TENTS has also been examined, and animacues OF appa
reniy different species have been discove ed
The important experiments and discoveries OF Professor
Mussey viii be made public In the forthcoming November
number OF the Western Lancet and hope and w
aid in explaining the mysterious OF this blsck
DEATH and result discovering preventive and remedy