New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-05-21
The Cholera.

has not yet made its appearance even at the Five
Points, where filth, misery, vice and all other
things invite and favor its ravages
Bat If the Cholera is not here yet, there Is a
great possibility that it may be. New-York, with
shame be it spoken il Of the dlrtiest Cities Of
our acquaintance. Situated most iavOrably, with a
river on each side and the whole volume Of the
Csoson flowing through our streets 10 wash as
clean some fatality seems 10 delight in preventing
as from ever attaining that state. DIT and gar
bage OF all varieties accumulate in our thorough
fares, and in the poorer quarters such as Elm st.
Orange-st Mulberyst the heaps Of matter thus
collected sometimes cause the streets 70 resemble
awestern bog. road rather than the avenues Of
the American metropolis, while the stencil from
decaying substances is Overpowering, except 70
the habit or the resolution Of a native. Now this
il shameful at all times and at all times source
OF danger. Ii impossible but that disease should
arise from the filthy streets Of New-York, whether
there be any special infection in the air or not the
wonder is that there is not more and deadlier SICK
ness In those quarters, filed as they are with a
bsdly-fed closely packed population, whose habits
ofhfe are generally any thing bat wholesome. We
to purify the worst places let the officers who
first set it on foot have due credit for their benevo
lent en.erprise-sn enterprise which ought never
10 have been delayed till the alarm OF the cholera
came 10 frighten even the dulest out OF their IN
difference. New.York 10 healthy City this she
owes 10 her unrivaled situation with proper at
tention she would be great deal healthier than
che 10. Isit not time TO see that this Is attended
to-pot spasmodicaly and in the fairy Of fright
but permanently and steadily
But it is not alone in the public thoroughfares
that the causes Of disease are 10 be found Come
with rs, reader, to some OF the blind alleys IN
Orange-st command your stomachs and let as
enter, for here are the abodes Of human beings
impossible as 1t may seem. The passage is dark
and foul at the end is pool Of dirty water
srosnd which you ragged children engaged IN
n sad parody OF play--that natural chervescence
OF childhood which we love to think OF on hill
sides and green lawns pass In at the gaping door
and II you can mount the tottering stair case, or
else we will turn aside to that cellar whose floor |
is little better than mud. Such as thisIs the most
densely inhabited part Of the City. What foul
neSt, what misery, what odors Here are scenes |
which you have seen described but possibly have
not fully conceived before. These ever the
harvest fields Of disease,-happy perhaps, their
occupants to perish 80 suddenly as by the Cholera
For this portion OF our population charity al
ready does much and the officers who have com
menced cleaning the streets have undertaken to
do more. They have begun the good work of |
cleansing these wretcbed sbodes, whitew ashing |
and disnfecting them. This is good for the pres
ent emergency. and all that can at once be done.
Bat for the long run it is not enough 1t will re-
qure but short time to restore them 10 their pre-
vious condition. A due regard not only for the |
permanent health Of the City, but for its prospect
ty. selfinterest as well as benevolence. demand
that some more thorough measure be adopted
Not only must the streets be washed but some
thing must be done to wash the people also not
only must the streets be kept clean, but the poor
must have decent and comfortable lodgings pro.
vided for them
Is this asking too much Is II Utopian i'm
practicable 7 Look at what has been done and IS
now doing in London. See what has been accom-
plished there for the cleanliness of the lowest poor
by the peoples bath and wash houses, establish
ments of the highest benevolence and utility. while
at the same time they pay fair interest to their pro
jectors and stockholders. See what has been done
there by model lodging. houses, in which for less
sum than il paid per week for such holes those
we have spokenofin Orange-st decent audhealthy |
rooms are provided and kept clean. Why shall
not something Of the same sort be attempted in
New.York' 1t ia certain that no loss even of |
money. need come from II experience is positive
on that point. And who can estimate the substan-
tial improvement In the health of the City which
must follow from the adoption Of these two simple |
measures alone They are too expensive, do you |
sayf Why, the merchants OF this City might az |
ford to pay hundreds of thousands o. dollars TO re-
move the influence which the fear of the Cholera
has upon their business. There is scarce a bust
ness house down town which does not severely |
feel that influence in the elimination OF its trade
But the duty OF taking care OF health is not con
fined to the City alone; individuals will do well
10 look out also. Prudence and Judgment in eat
ing and driakng and personal habits, are all that
Ia required to go sale through the Cholera and do
fy disease in general. Above all cultivate the sc-
quaintsnce of water, and have no fear OF too much
washing. Keep clean and eat and drink only what
10 good and wholesome and you keepwe lfitbe
possible do not get alarmed for that does not serve
% keep of the enemy. Finally, do no, drug and |
drench yourselves with nostrums no matter by |
whom or how recommended. Ii an ounce of true /
precaution is worth pound Of cure i, is worth |
ton OF what is neither cure nor prevention, but at
best serves only to make the well sick. Have |
much faith in the natural preventves Of which |
we have spoken, and none a; all in those an
nounced on flaming hsndbills In the streets. And |
thus your hope of being reader of The T'ribxae
next year will be as well grounded ss the hopes
Of q mortal can be
~ Our correspondent, An lrishmss. will
see that we have noticed the objections TO the sp-
pointment OF Mr.. MIrcHEL, on our first page We
know all our correspondent, says is true-,hat Mr.
mitchell did not take the precaution to be born
here that he did not come here refugee. though
that would serve to render him still desrer to the
American People-snd that the Irish People can
afford to dispense with the Mirror pity as readily
Is they can do without his patronage. The Irish
IN this country number at least from two to four
millions This great proportion OF our citizens
should have their opinions taken into eonsidera.