New-York daily tribune., 1854-07-17
THE CHOLERA.

The returns of the City inspector for the last week
show sl7 deaths of which AZ are set down as caused
by Cholera. Both the deaths by Cholera and the
sum total are higher than we had reason to expect,
taking the progress of mortality in the Cholera sea-
son of le49 the basis of calculation. In that year
the epidemic broke out about the middle of May,
and from that date up to the lith of July, two
months, swept off 1913 persons 1t reached its
maximum yirulenee during the third week in July,
when IA persons died of Cholera out of an aggre-
gate of ,4t9 deaths-the largest number ever known
in one week. Thence forward it rapidly declined,
and disappeared with the month of September, after
DESTROYING more than 5000 lives. The Cholera at
present among us is of a less violent type, began
month later, and progresses with less rapdity
Thus far we rave reported Only i56 deaths by it
since the 1st Of January. The disease has
been confined almost exclusively to newly-ar-
rived immigrants and to some of the dirter portions
of the City, will be seen by glance at the number
of deaths in each Ward, and the table of the natvi
ties of the deceased Just at this season of the year
there is always heavy increass OF infant mortality
which can hardly be said to enter into proper estI-
mate of the health of the City Last week halt the
entire number of cl7 deaths were of children under
two years of age Assuming all these to have been
natives and excluding them altogether from consld
GRAFTON, we have 4l2 left; of whom 295 were for
eipners. We come then, to the concluaon-and in
deed the experience of every physician is to this ef
fect-that but very few natives attacked by the
disease, and these, in almost every instance, are
guilty of some gross mprudence in eating or drink
ing. With anything like proper caution, the accl-
mated have nothing to apprehend and people from
al % thov vic Naxy-
York with perfect impunity so far as the epidemic is
concerned AS yet the stream OF travel has flown un-
interruptedly and fear has been manifested not
wthstanding the unworthy efOrtsof journals in some
other cities to damage the sanitary reputation OF the
metropolis.
But while it is thus evident that those accustomed
70 the climate have little to dread from the Cholera,
no efforts to arrest its ravages should be omitted.
There will be much higher numbers in the weekly re-
ports though it can hardly be possible that 1o49 will
be rivaled We find by the Ward returns that the
disease is most prevalent in the dirtest and most
densely populated portions of the City, the Iirst,
Fourth Sixth, Eleventh and Seventeenth Wards.
In the Fifteenth Ward there were but eight
deaths for the week. ard the week before but seven,
while eleven per week was the average for the last
for the two weeks against average of 27 per week
last year. There are no hospitals in either Ward,
and probably not less than 20 fatal from the
Sixth should be added for those taken to the Frank
Inst Hospital during the two weeks.
The Board of Health should at once prosecute ex-
treme for cleansing the streets and cutters,
using Croton and lime freely. There is also great
complaint of the absence of garbagecarts in all parts
of the City. Boxes and barrels of decaying vegetable
and animal matter kept for days ih almost every
house, poisoning the atmosphere aud preparing the
occupants for the pestence. To-day the street
cleaning busines, is formally turned over to the new
contractors, and shall be agreeaby disappointed if
there is not much confusion delay and neglect in
rying away dirt The Board Of Health should also at
once prevent the sale of unripe fruit, poisonous
candies, stale oysters and the stuff called ce-creams,
now hawked about the streets and stationed at almost
every prominent corner A vast deal of sickness and
death among children results from the eating of this
article; and so long parents cannot be on hand to
prevent it, the City authorities should put stop to
the traffic altogether. The man woman who will
sell green apples and chalk to achd deserves
soOurn in the quarries Of Blackwells Island yet
there are hundreds who make money in such nefari-
GUS business, and the law wnks at it.
With proper yigor in the Board of Health, and
prompt action on these and other points of immediate
necessity, the rayages of Summer diseases might be
materially reduced, and the pestilence ITSELF being
brought comparatively under human control come to
be looked upon without terror. Let US have prompt
work, and openly, TOO. There be no good reason
for the present secrecy Let the Board hold open
session, and give the fullest publicity to their reports
and proceedings. A great danger, fully confronted
and accurately measured is already half overcome;
while secrecy is most fruitful in alarms and tends to
make timid and place in danger those who would
otherwise be stouthearted and cafe. We give sum-
mary Of the facts concerning the progress of the
Pestlence in other parts Of the country There were
90 cases in Philadelphia and 81 in Boston.