Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-12-07
The Choiera--Hts Theory and
Course. ...
From the Cincinnati Gazette.

When certain phenomena occur, no theory
can be considered true which does not &C.
count for all the conditions Of this pbeuom-
ena. A theory which does account ior them
is not q demonstration, but it satisfies the
mind almost as well The theory Of gravi.
tation cannot be demonstrated upon any
other principles than that it satisfies the CON
ditions of the movement of solid bodies.
! Upon this theory our present astronomical
system is founded and since we find that
| all the movements Of both terrestrial and &C.
lestial bodies correspond with il, we are sat
| isfied of its truth. In searching fer a proD-
innate cause or theory Of cholera, (for the ul-
innate cause is the direct interference Of
Divine Providence) all ordinary theories of
epidemics have failed-utterly failed. The
eccentricities ofcholera are the most remark
able of any which ever occurred in the his,
tory Of disease, This disease itself physi-
clans describe as most distinctly marked, but
in its career and progress ovor our nations
and countries It is irregular in an appareat-
! IL uDaccouutable manner. 1t appears on
one side of a river and not on the other. 1t
| APPEARS In one quarter Of town, and not in
another. 1t occasionally skips towns. 1t is
severe in towns-a scourge in cities; but
rarely appears in strictly rural districts, and
scarcely ever on high ground. 1t is most
servere geologically in the limestone regions,
and appears scarcely at all in the granite or
| primary formations. These are not the laws
of any atmospheric disease; they are not the
laws Of any known epidemic. The atmes-
| phere is uniform, and pervades everything
and as an atmospheric disease, like that
well known epidemic influenza, which moves
with the general course of the atmosphere,
and we can trace it ever the country like
northeast storm, which, by the way, comes
| from the southwest Is there any theory
which will satisfy the conditions of cholera
There is one, and only one. This theory
may be briefly described thus: Cholera is
an imal life That is it is caused and pro-
pagated by invisible animalcula. There is no
| objection to this theory in the fact that we
cannot discover these auimalcula, for, as
the telescope has never been able to reach
the depths Of the armament, or disclose the
stars beysnd, SO no microscope has disclosed
the utmost minuteness of life in the deep
profound okcreation. For aught we know
all epidemics are caused by this minute lite
working upon the higher animal life above.
But, at any rate, the animalcular theory ac.
counts for all the phenomena Of cholera and
cause is concerned.
Supposing cholera to be caused by ami
maleula, its eccentric movements are just
what they should be. The minutest animal
life conceivable must have its proper food
| Just as much as sheep or cattle, and will as
certainly move ,chere that food Is as any 9TH
er animal 1t fndsit in a city, hen it does
not 10 the country. 1t finds it in one part
Of town, and not in another. In these re-
spects we have perfectly clear reason for
the eccentric movements of cholera. We
have also a remarkable consistency with the
history of its historical progress. 10 know
the laws Of such an animal life as this; We
must 20 back to animal existence in state
of nature. 1t is perfectly we'll known that
animals in state Of nature, although inhab-
iting particular regions from which they sell
move Ssps sS%stmss a"s Shsn ys i hh he d.ss Sss
| fheu migr1te. This is true from the small
est insect to man himself. Insects migrate
for food squirrels migrate over vast re-
qions: and Goths and Huns migrated for
Che same reason from the high northern lati-
tudcs to the sunny plains of Italy for food:
Looking to the migration of cholera, we lind
it was an old iuhabitant of India, where,
living in the pestilential swamps Of the
Gauges, it had been for unknown years
dwelling contentedly. Some cause induced
its migration, when it commenced march
which has been half a century going on. 1t
took three years to penetrate throughout
India. 1t then advanced on both sides. In
it's progress to Europe it pursued what IL
, has ever since done, the course Of rivers
and travelled roads, through Persia, Arabia
and Asia Minor Here let me remark that
this mode Of migration is not at all uncom
mon with insects. Take the common mos
quito for example; mosquitoes were never
common in Cincinnati till they were brought
, by steamboats, But fine illustration of
the mode of mosquito travelling might be OBJ
served in the evenings Of last September or
; the Miami railroad. When the cars reach
ed the banks of the Miami, about dusk-tht
, windows being open-they took on board
large number Of mosquitoes, who Travelled II
: the cars without paying for the next hun
/ dred miles, stopping, if they pleased, at an,
of the stations. In precisely this manne
E cholera has travelled round the world. anC
travels vet. Insects are killed in extreme
/ cold weather, and made stupid and letharg
G in moderately cold or frosty weather. IL
: one or two seasons cholera opened in winte
in the northern towns Of Europe, but no
q severely. This may be accounted for just a
d we sometimes find flies in moderate winte
= weather occasionally appearing in house
d Having been present previously, they ar
n warmed into life indoors. In the autumn 0
e 1884, when the cholera had apparently di
A. appeared from Cincinnati, and frost appear
= ed, there we're two or three warm DAYS, an
% in one night cholera broke out on Fourt
'. street, and killed several people. But th'
was the last of it; years passed away befol
it came again.
There is a popular idea that there is
n choleric atmosphere, which preceded Il
~ cholera. think it is purely imaginary.
y the summer and autumn there are always
re great many people with bowel complain
ID of one sort or another. Let them unde
ne stand the cholera is coming, and the nuI
n, ber will be doubled OF all the inauenc
OF ON the regular action of the digestive organ
RS that of the mind is the greatest. There CT
@, be no question that fear has killed mar
on people. and hope prolonged the lives Of OF
Id ers. One the bravest and noblest office
ng of the American army died from chole
as produced By fear. The soldier who h
no braved an hundred battles may well get o
,or of the way of locomotive, and fear the p,
thence, which comes as the avenger Of t
Lord. The courage which faces battle
lie often a mere want Of sensibility, and t
of fear which fees from il is often the me