The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-07-27

hefeeH may NC Iorctu 10 seek protectlon from ncT,
if the present President and army cannot put down
anarchy. Meanwhile, Great Britain has decided it
70 be her policy to keep aloof from continental at
fairs, unless forced into them. She penetrates and is
jealous Of the designs of Russia, but will not be
able, even were she disposed, to counteract them
by spending her blood and treasures in such
contest Let us watch and pray. i,i t-.,e . I
The CHoIERA-PANIc-Dgsr AND INTRO
FER MEDICAL TREATMENT. "A great deal of specu-
aiion, conjecture, and theorzing about the nature
and causes of the epidemic now prevailing through
out the country, has appeared in the newspapers,
some of it ingenious and some of it silly We
have not as yet seen anything like really philoso
phical and scientific investigation of the subject,
either in the medical journals or the newspapers
In the meantime, the disease is carrying off great
numbers, and panic has been created which is
probably producing as much disease and death as
the cholera itself A careful examination of the
facts IN the case, however, dlscloses curious
results, which are worthy of attentive study.
In the first place, we have been struck by the
large number Of deaths among the infant popula-
lation. Every one Was startled by the aggregate
of the daily bills of mortality during the last week
One thousand four hundred and nine inerments in
one week was, indeed, an alarming announcement
Z OF this large number of deaths, five hundred and
fiftythree were children under ten years OF age.
OF what class Why, chiefly of the poor, the
wretched, the destitute the forlorn and helpless,
who are crowded ogethern filthy habltations, reek-
ing with pestilential gases and human eflluyia. OF
course, large proportion of the adult cases. also
have been furnished from the same despsed and
Il Of
is the most prolific parent of disease. Look at the
revolving spectacle which is presented in various
quarters Of this Christian city, in the congrega-
tons of humanity huddled together in wretched
tenements, clothed IN rags, and feeding on
garbage Yes, within the sound of the bells
of many of those gorgeous temples, In which
the bloated sons and daughters of Mammon i'm
agine they worship God, you find streets and
lanes and court yards crammed with starving,
despairing, shlvering human beings, for whom the
hearts of the builders and the patrons of those
magnificent churches have never yet felt one
sympathetic throb. When have the preachers,
who live in palaces, visited those regions of
wretchedness and despair? What has the Chris
tan charity of the age done for those classes
What have your tremendous meetings at the
Tabernacle done in order to relieve this wholesale
suffering! Truly, it does look like just retribu-
ton, the breaking forth of these awful pesrences,
which, originating amongst the hats of poverty,
quickly carry terror and death into the palaces Of
the rich.
Improper medical treatment, and the want of
any medical treatment, have doubtless carried Oft
hundreds. There is in this city an immense num-
Der OF medical impostors and quacks, both of the
Irregular and "irregular" school. Probably In
no city in the civilized world is the medical pro-
fession at so low ebb in the metropolis of the
United States. We have had abundant evidence
Of that during the prevalence OF the present cpl
demc, IN the bungling, laundering, unprofessional
manner in which the medical officers of the
corporation have conducted themselves. 1t is
stated by a physician of Boston, who visited
this city, in order to study the cholera, as it
presented itself amongst us, that he did not
know single instance in which physician
or student Of medicine had made his ap-
pearance at any of the cholera hospitals for the
purpose Of observing and investigating the disease
The same gentleman also speaks in the severest
terms of rebuke with regard to the management of
these hospitals. But there can be no doubt that
many of the poorer classes Of patients have been
subjected to the grossest maltrea,ment. Oae of
our contemporaries published the other day, several
specimens Of the style in which New York physi-
cians furnish the certificates required by the City
Inspector, and the proof thus afforded of their igno-
rance and stupidity was at oace amusing and me-
lanchoy Such spelling! Such originality Of
expression Such an extraordinary nomenclature
of disease.
Bad food-bad ven,ilation-bad efiluvia-bad
doctors-bad drugs-these are among tn. potent
agencies of destruction, which swell our bills OF
mortality Thousands and thousands of poor i'm
migrants have been landed at our wharves during
the last six weeks and great numbers OF them, de-
tered from proceeding to the West, by the
dread of the cholera, have remained amongst us,
adding another element of disease and moralityi to
those already in existence. Last week, one-haf
Of the deaths were among the foreign population
what are the authorities about
What means have they taken to prevent disease
among the crowded haunts Of poverty all along the
East River, and in the wards up town, in which
the mortality is 40 great Why have they net
provided a sufficient number of competent physi-
cans. If such can be found. to attend the poor IN
the various wards Why do they not establish
depots for the dispensation of genuine drugs, #
such can be got, to be given gratuitously to those
unable to pay for medicine Why content them
selves with the opening OF three four hospitals,
TO which only the dying and the dead con-
veyed Why not distribute, copiously, Grants
disinfectant fluid, which DIR. Geer so strongly re-
commends, but Of which we know nothing Let
its properties be tested fully, at all events and the
properties Of all the fluids Of the same character
Why are not the streets swept and cleaned early
in the morning. instead Of the daytime, TO the an
noysnce, and II may be, the serious danger of the
public In one word, why is there not vigorous,
intelligent, Practical, thorough discharge of their
duty on the part of the authorities, at this cnsis
Again we repeat en- often reiterated advice. Let
the public mind be composed ; let all panic cease
let all observe carefully regulated system of diet
end regimen, and temperance in all things. LEI
reason exercise her sway and, reposing orr trust
IN the Providence which rules the world, let VA
attend to our business, and sot SIT down snticp-t-
ing all manner OF evil, but rather looking for the