Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-11-03
THE CHOLERA.

Inc Chorera Is sui advancing in Europe
and there is very little ground for the hope that
1t will not visit this continent. The epidemic
first became alarming in Egypt, where it was
introduced by pilgrims returning from Mecca
and DjedSah. Cholera exists every year, more
or less, among the caravans of Musselmans ar
irving in these holy cities, after fatigues and
priyations which render them liable to mala-
dies. This predisposition is favored by their
camping in the open air exposed to a torrd
heat and the influence of miasma arising from
Accommodations of filth and purified remains of
animals offered In sacrifice. From Suez the
pestilence swept over Egypt and along the
highways of commerce to the coasts of Asia
Minor and Southern Europe, until it has seized
upon Paris and entered the suburbs Of London
All the investigations that have been made con-
corning this mysterious plague have resulted
only in the discovery that uncleanliness invites
it, and that its premonitory symptoms may be
successfully taken advantage of by the prompt
use Of proper remedies. Quarantine offers no
barrier to its approach. All the restrictions
that can be placed on arriving vessels prove
futile, the disease suddenly appearing
in cities where such precautions are
most rigidly enforced. In all its former
visitatious to this country, it has appeared in
from three to four weeks from its breaking out
In any foreign city having rapid or direct COM
munications with our own ports. The pre-
nonitory stage is ushered in by q mild and
painless diarrhCea, which continues for hours,
sometimes for days, before the period of COL
lapse. In this stage it is readily cured by the
patient retiring to bed and keeping warm and
quiet What is most important is to knew
whether the diarrhpa is cholerac or not; and
If so, it may be arrested by the use of the fol-
lowing remedies, prescribed by the most emf
nent Paris physicians, and in ariably found to
be efficacious:
peppermint, of which the patient must
drink half n cupfull every quarter of an hour;
it is TO be taken quite hot, sweetened, and with
the addition of two table-spoonsfuI of rum or
old coGnac, together with twenty drops of tine
ture of cinnamon. Precipitation is then pro-
duced, and the infusion is continued till the
motions checked. Three hours generally
suffice for this If the medicine thus admins
tered promote signs of intoXication, this is to be
regarded as a favorable sign of recovery; if it
cause vomltings, then 1t is 10 be discontinued,
and a small glass of old cognac or of green
chartreuss is TO be substituted in its place,
which is to be taken every quarter of an hour.
When the disease has reached its crisis, it is
generally necessary to confine the treatment
mainly TO alcoholized aromatics, energetic fric-
tons, injections not too strongly etherized, rub
bling of the limbs, and to use every suitable
means for increasing the circulation and ex-
citing the nevous system"
But prevention is easier than cure All the
statistics prove that where cleanliness has
been preserved the epidemic has been very
light, and in some instances it has passed en-
firely over cities in its track which adopted
strict sanitary measures, although there were
Thousands of cases of painless diarrhea. In
FORMER ylsitations of cholera many English
towns organized body of visitors under the
the direction of a central medical board. whose
duty 1t was 10 visit from house to house seve-
raj times each day and inquire for such cases
Zach visitor carried the proper remedies, and
this, with close observance Of the sanitary
laws, soon checked the epidemic. Statistics
prep AIRED by the Paris Academy show that at
that time out of 10000 visitations in England,
GOO persons narrowly escaped real cholera.
while only $50 actually had the disease. In
other words, the system of visitation prevented
$3.50 cases Of cholera. These facts are of the
utmost importance to our citizens. Self-pres.
eryation demands an Immediate cleaning not
only OF the streets and cutters but OF the kitch-
ems, yards and priyies, and constant vigilance
An preventing any aecumnIatlon Of aassA Xlsss
cautions we may avert great mortality, posi-
bly, escape visitation Of the cholera alto.
gether.