The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1865-11-22
ChoIera Is an EpIdemIe.


DR. Edwin NJ. STONE. physician ofsons
eminenee, OF Providence, Rhode Island. In
letter to the Board Of Alderman of that
city, takes the ground that Quarantine
regulations are absolutely and utterly use.
less TO prevent tic introduction and spread
or A aatic ChClera," He urges that 'chol-
era can not prevail as an epidemic without
the presence Of certain mystic i0us eondi-
ton Of the atmosphere" and that where
that condition Of atmosphere ex sts, cholera
viii make It's way through no vessel what
ever should arrive from sD infected port.
he also cambats the IDEA stated so posi-
nvely IN the dispatch from the UnitedStates
Legation, at Constantinople, thar cholera is
contagious. lie asserts that no intelligent
medical observer of the disease in this cnun-
try, at the present dly, believes that cholera
IS contagious. To inculcate the op2,lSi;c
idea is most mischievious, as it would, ifhe
lieved, prevent the sick receiving that at
tentIon 50 necessary to preserve from DEATH
While on this subject We reproduce the
following article from the New York Joma-
at J Ctnlpesce which may be rea / and re-
membered with advantage
CHOLERA.
The thing in the world that am most
afraid Of is fear, and with goou leason /:
that passion alone, in the trouble of it.
breeding all otEcr accidents" Thus wrote
Moctaignc three centuries ago. and the sen
tlment then conveyed holds equally true at
the present day. While it is an open ques-
tioI whether or not cholera is contagious il
Is uGceniable that fear has great agency
IN spreading and developing the disease. -
Ths experiments attributed to physician
at St Petersburg, during the cholera epi.
demic ia that city several years ago, are pro
ba ly in the midst of some of our reade S.
THIS physician obtained of the authorities
two criminals who had been condemned to
death, to do with them as he thought e..
One OF these convicts was made to sleep in a
bed III which, as he was told, man had
died OF the cholera but the night beto e-al-
though such was not the fact. After a
restless night, the criminelw was taken with
AL the symptoms Of cholera, and died of
That disease, declaring that he had caught
It from the bed--a victim to bis own fears.
The other was made to sleep on bed where
In a man had died but few hours previous
Of the fatal disease. This fact, however,
was unknown to the occupant of the bed,
who arose IN the morning refreshed by his
sleep, remaining in perfect health The
stories, also, will occur to many, Of men who
on being condemned BY bleeding were blind
folded, and, after slight puactures with
needles placed so that water would trickle
slowly from the fancied wound The men,
believing that they were bleeding to death,
exhibited precisely similar symptoms to per-
sons who were und rgoing the reality even
to the death. These facts certainly show
that fear and imagination exercise great
and controlling effort on disease. These in
fuences are especially sttong in diseases
considered to be of an epidemic or contagc-
Gus nature; and while it is far from being
asserted that perfect fearleasness will ward
OF the particular disease which seems alrea-
dy among US, yet doubtless it will 60 far to-
ward preventing much of its ravages. Let
our citizens then take all necessary precau-
tions due regard to the laws Of health
keep up cheerful and cool temper, and
leave the result in the hands of higher
power.