Washington sentinel., 1853-12-11
From the Boston Morning Journal

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| The CHOLERA IN l854.-If there be any
truth in the adage that "coming events cast
their shadows before" how clearly is the warn
ing now given to us, that the cholera next year
will visit this country. During the last twelve
months it has been gradually and slowly draw
ing its line of pestience and death from east
to west we now find il at the very shores OF
the United States. BY the papers, | am in
formed that the ship Constellation, which ar
rived at New York from Liverpool few DAYS
since lost one hundred passengers during her
voyage, and while yet in New York waters she
had many cases of the disease on board; seye-
raj other ships that have lately arrived at these
shores have reported the prevalence of the dis
ease, and its fatality, more or less, on their pas
sage.
How grateful ought we not to be that the
first approach of this dire aflction has been at
this season of the year, when for the next four
or FIVE months the natural effects of the climate
will protect us from its ravagcs, and in which
interval we have ample time to make an efii-
cient preparation to repel its attacks, or, at
least, to leave it little ground on which to get
firm foothold. Prudence, care, and cleanliness
will ever do very much to avert the evils of the
cholera.
What should be done now seems very plain.
tiles of all cities should at once establish in
their respective districts board of health not
to inquire into, but with full power to act in
stantly in doing all such things as are likely to
secure the better sanitary condition Of the peo-
pie, such as cleansing out old drains, removing
filth and dirt wherever found, visiting the low
est abodes of poverty, and of vice no less, re-
strcting with rigor the number of occupants of
each dwelling, compelling all to whtewash and
clean everything that is dirty, and let those who
have not the means to do such things, be sup
piled, and the expense betrayed by the author
tiles. Let the public scavengers in each city
be at least doubled. Activity like this must re-
suit in good; it would stir up the indolent and
apathetic, and the cost to each place would be
far less than if each city waited till the disease
was fairly established
When man does all in his power to avert any
evil, he has nothing to reproach himself with,
and he can, under such circumstances with con-
fdence seek the aid of the Almighty in his
distress. To PROSTATE ourselves in prayer, and
call upon the people to fast and pray to God
for blessing, while we neglect those things
which are requisite and necessary as well for
the body rs the SOUL" seems to me very like
asking Providence to remove from us an evil
which we bring upon ourselves by our own neg
ligence and inactivity, and such mpotent re-
quests are not likely, nor would it be wisdom
that they should be granted to us.
Tread hastily, short time since notice in
your paper of a letter dictated by Lord Pamers
ton to citizens of Edinburgh, in reply to de-
sire that he would appoint day for fasting and
prayer to stay the cholera his lordship stated
if / remember correctly, something to this
effect, that until man had done all it was in
his power, it was little better than mockery to
seek the aid of Providence, and that so long as
filth remained, so long as decayed vegetable
and other matter was allowed to pollute and
poison the air with pestilential gasses which
robbed it of its primative vitality, so long would
contagious Diseases at times, affect such places.
The great folk of Edinburgh seemed much
annoyed at his lordships truthful answer he
administered to them a very sharp rebuke, for
the old town of Edinburgh much needs i'm
provement in its sanitary state, or, at least, it
did five years ago. Esop's fable Of Hercules
and the Carter" is applicable to us in our
every day experience.
Ny only motive in writing this letter, is to
draw the attention of wiser heads than mine to
this highly important subject. In the hope
that some practical efforts will be made i'm
mediately, in all the populous cities of the land
having for their object the prevention, so far
as possible, ofthe awful fatality Of the cholera.