The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-21

the disease; the officers Of the prison only by A
eight cholerina. In theegular course Of infection
partment through the rooms occupied BY the ofcer,
and soldiers TO the female portion Of the prison: but
in this case Il jumped from place to the other.
omittng the intermediate space. The doctor then
made inquiry % to the female prisoner, Anna Maria
Meyer, VINO was first attacked BY the disease and the
result was as foIlows:- m-71f7T
II Is customary in the prison TO take of and wash
the soled clothes of every new conner label IL and
return it 70 the prisoner on his leaving the nstutIon
The female prisoners detailed for that service in
couples which relieve each other from time to time
Names and dates are reg ulary inscribed in book;
and on examining that book 1t was found that when
Grasses clothes were washed, which was on the
21st OF August the day OF hs arrival in prison, 1.-THE
10Th OF AugusD being Sunday. 1t WAS Anna Maria
Meyers turn. and 1t was she who OF al the female
prisoners, was first sent TO the hospital. Grasse
had been afflicted with diarhna before he arrived
in prison, and his clothe, were soiled. The doctor
says: was led 70 this examination by the report on
the mortality Of cholera, DC. London 1852 where it
is said that It without danger to wash the clothes
Of cholera patients. The observed in India
The doctor then mentions the parallel case Of the
prison at Kaishem, Allied In general like the prison
Of Erbrach, with thousand prisoners, ted aud en-
ployed exactly like those at Erbrach, with night
stools and privies just as defective and into which
prisoner was brought from Munich, who was shortly
afterwards attacked with cholera, from which he
died. Not one other case occurred--not single pr.
soner out OF thousand took tho disease. The doc.
tor ut once reported the to the government az
Munich, and received peremptory orders to examine
Schmidt the physician of the institution who made
a written report on the subject -
THAT the prisoner, George Wendlc, came with
thirty other prisoners from the prison at Munich,
and was with his companions sent to the hospital OF
the prison as coming from infected place. There
they ate and slept together but perfectly separate from
oil other prisoners. The diet that of healthy peo-
pie cooked IN iron pots An overseer was ordered to
watch them and report the first symptom Of disease
on the spot. The work of the prisoners consisted
in spinning. All declared themselves perfectly
wen. Wendie afterwards grew sick, and died Of
cholera n seven hours. He was, from the first mo-
ment Of his being taken. carried To separate room
and not single stool of the sufferer was enpticd
without being frst disinfected with . solution Of
chloride OF lime which process was repeated several
which was not much used, though communicating
with the sink Of tho prison. Turpentine spread
on paper in the room where he died, and in tho ad-
joining corridor Shirt. uldershrt. neck cloth and
socks were buried with the dead. The straw on
which he had slept was buried ut distance from
the houses where the sraw Of those infected with the
itch Is usually buried. The empty sack and pillows
the blanket and other clothes Of the deceased were
spread in corner Of the garden, and exposed for
weeks 10 the action of the atmosphere including the
rain. They were then washed by the same apparatus
which Is used In the manufacture of wOollen goods.
The other clothes Of the deceased, powcase and
straw sack, were not washed with the common
wash. and have not yet been used" DIR. Schmidt
concludes his report by expressing biz belief that
III t1ee precautions would nave availcd nothing il
the first stools Of the deceased had not been tho.
roughly disinfected before being empticd.
On these, and mass of similar indces Doctor
PettenkOfer establishes his theory that the cholera
agens Is contained in the cycrcments of the dis
eased that, In consequence, II IL transferable from
one place to another, without personal contact; and
that, consequently, localities may become the means
OF spreading the contagion The theory suggests
itself the means Of preventing the progress Of the
contagion, while Mt the same time ii explains the
inefhciency of the usual modes Of quarantine in
either preventing or arresting the contsgion
have now given yon the substance Of neatly
printed volume Of $40 pages. with maps and us-
traons without number. II Is the official report Of
an experienced physician. who has iatored under
governmental orders. anslwh0 has had all the mil.
tary, civil and judicial authorities Of the kingdom
TO aid him in his Investigations Other governments
have adopted his views and the sanitary regulations
OF Dresden have just been ordered 60 be made con.
formally to his theory. The work has been dis
tributed among the magistrates Of towns aud vii
lagos, and improvements have been ordered in the
drainage and sewerage Of all public buildings,
prisons, barracks, DC, with the entire conf.
dence Of success. know that could have spoken
OF many more agreeable subjects, In regard tn which
might have employed potter terms and more
agreeable phraseology. But doubt whether could
have chosen subject more deeply interesting To
science and the community at large. In short
deemed IL my duty TO communicates instruction 20
essential, and derived from 70 authentic source
through journal so widely spread as the HERALD,
and have no further apology 10 offer for the want OF
Gsthetical refinement in the employment Of terms.
shau be satisfied II physicians profit by the hint