The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-07-29
EPiDEmIcs.f

i
Every one knows or thinks he kaows some
thing about epidemics. When cholera OF
yellow fever comes sweeping through CITY,
II il does nothing else it sels everybody con-
leciuting causes for hs having come this par.
tlcular year and not another. Each one brings
up facts IN support of his theory, and though
the theories may die, the facts remain. In
the pfesen, age; news flies by lightning; facts
| are compared aud sifted. Thas old theories
are rapidly exploded, and broader generalza-
lions take their place. SiN cr,
| Are not epidemies all the effects Of passion!
Of this there seems very Iiule doubt. Thus
scarlet fever is found 10 be best treated, when
regarded as an irritating substance perhaps
inh aled through the lungs icto the blood, but
chiefly 10 be expelled from The system thro'
the surface, that is the skin, where its poison
is destroyed. The chief effort of medicine
should, therefore, be 10 stimulate The system
so as 10 enable it TO expel the poison, instead
of allowing the vital powers TO be depressed
BY it. If person is bitten by ratllesnake,
every physician knows that the best treat.
ment is slimulani. Brandy, whiskey, or
J ammonia must be kept ut work upon the
system, and the vital forces can hardly be
rallied. This seems now 10 be considered
the best method of treating fevers. They
must be considered as poisons which have
got to be slowly worked oul of The system.
But how do they work deir way In This
is The next question. Is il in what we eat or
what we drink, by the touch or through in
haialon? There seems 10 be no reason to
doubt that it may be by any of these means.
The effect of poisons on the skin, ard their
different results al different times are we'll
known. If painter gets handling his white
lead paints before breakfast, he will be far
more likely so 10 imbibe the poison as TO
take the painters cholic, because his stomach
is empty, and the absorbents are active. Bul
after breakfast, with vigorous system, he
may labor with far greater hope of impunily.
So we have no doubt il would be found among
those attending yellow fever and cholera pa.
tieLls. They may handle them even when
dying or dead, and so long as the system is
vigorous, feel no evil effects. But if after be.
Insfatigued with the watches oftbe night, the
depressed system is brought in contact with
disease, and copious ablulions be neglected,
it will often absorb the virus. It is on this
account that some hard drinkers have thought
the practice contributed 10 their safety. But
as all such slmnlants must be succeeded by
corresponding reaction attlmes, the habiiual
use Of such things kills tweniy where il saves
one. So it was found by Walkef's army in
Nicaragua.
But the poison usually takes more subtle
form. II is chiefly through the 'a,r that il is
propagated. In cholera seasons, there is no.
ticeble an almost total absence OF azone from
the atmosphere where the epidemic prevails,
an ingredient in some way connected with
the presence Of electricity, while influenza is
probably owing in par, TO it's excess. Wheth.
er these are direct causes ,or whether only the
means are letting loose other causes upon the
system, through the fermentation of certain
minute bodies, none can say. Carbonic acid
sas will ofsn sesm TO product typhns fever.
But sometimes there will be malaria in On
atmosphere in which no chemistry has been
able TO detect so far az the presence or the
absence of any unusual element. In the
neighborhcod of Charleston, S. c., malaria
will prevail so marked as 10 be certain death
10 any stranger sleeping on plantation for
single night, end yet those who live there all
the year round enjoy health. All these are
most certain 10 be injurious for few hours
after shutdown and few hours before sun:ise
A hearty meal, By preventing The action of
the absorbenis, rs one Of the best preventives,
and warm woollen clothing mex, 10 the skin
is almost equally necessary. Hence ii would
seem that either the lungs or the skin may
imbibe dsalh through virus SO subtle tina,
no analysis can detect its presence.
OF course whatever poisons may be float
iIg in the air will be almost certain 10 inn
pregnate more or less the water exposed 10 it,
Often water will become most obviously The
means of conveying the poison into the 6, $.
TEN. In London, the impure water Of the
Thamee taken from certain localities, intro.
duced cholera and death into many houses,
while families supplied with water drawn
by another company from different spot
were scarcely n auy case affected by the
disease.
Do poisonous miasmas always acl on the
same organs primarily, or on different ones?
That is very important question. In some
cases, such as scarlet fever, it would seem as
if the virus was absorbed through the lungs
into the circulatory system, producing oil its
effects thus. But, in many cases, the first
impression would seem 10 be made upon the
nervous system. Hence those pains in The
back, and lha, lassiiude and mental anguor
which so commonly precede ordinary ieysr
attacks. But, in cases of cholera, j, may De
regafded'as Uncertain which organs are first
affecied--indeed, different organs may be in
different cases. Thus, where the poison is
imbibed through water, il may primarily at
tack the stomach and intesiines; where in.
hailed or absorbed through The skin, il may
first affect the blood or the nervous system.
That Il does destroy the vitality of the blood
with surprising suddenness. 10 some cases,
has been clearly showo.
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