Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-14
WHY EpIDEMIcs ARE TERRIBLE.

..,'. .. VIII tflDEnllOo AhE
The dread which precedes the coming of
an epidemic disease is solely because of its
incomprehensible character. ZymOtic dis
eases, when only endemic and local, are
often as implacable, and attended with more
physical suffering. But they are supposed
to be under control of the physician, and
capable of being abated or mitigated by
sanitary precautions. With clean and well
ventilated dwellings, the removal of foul
refuse from around them, etc- we can eX-
pect immunity. But the epidemic seems to
be the minister of higher power, and to
overlook all these attempts to put death far
away. 1t enters every habitation to smite
down these who have by age, exposure or
otherwise, lowered the standard of vitality.
Those who do not bravely abide its pres
ence it also makes its prey. The mystery
that attends it its almost unswerving and
relentless career adds to the terror. We
dread death instinctively; no wonder then
that we dread its special ENJOYS. ..uo.
The epidemic influence seems to predis-
pose to diseases without apparent relation
to any known cause, as in the case OF intlu-
enZa and cholera. 1t sometimes bestows
upon disease new and anomalous forms; and
at other periods adds unusual violence to
well known maladies. either giving them
high inflammatory tendency or low type.
At one time the head is oftenest attacked;
again the chest, and at another time the
bowels. Thus from 1882 till 1866, choleraic
influence controlled most forms of prevail
ent disease; and since that influenza has
reigned, making catarrh, diptheria, quinsy
and kindred maladies of the throat and ma
sal cavities particularly severe. 1t is the
popularity of an epidemic that it takes the
mastery OF other diseases, subordinating
it to ITSELF and complicating itself more or
less with their peculiar symptoms. While
the peculiar influence or constitution pre-
walls, this is sure to be the case. Those
most liable to attacks OF epidemic disease are
persons of enfeebled vitality or general
cachexia; the vigorous eyade the influence
as the feathers of duck shed water.
s,t{ a ,l-i THE CHOLERA. q ,y,-r
81 De Foe relates that when the great plague
ragged in London, in 1865, many were SILENT
ly infected without perceiving it, till they
fell into swooniDg and faintings, and death
without pain. Very similar to this is Eu-
gene Sues account of the perishing of the
two children In the cholera hospital at
Paris. The blood, Immediately after it is
poisoned by the deadly contagion, Parts
rapidly with its oxygen, leaving a lifeless
carbonic mass.
Inc peSCllence aCtackS 1nsld10uSly, and
fixes sudden hold, upon. the vitals. The
patient often seeming just before to be In
robust health, assumes shrivelled, death
like aspect; thesurfaee of the body becomes
cold, giving to another sensation like con-
tact, with the skin of a frog, and the face,
hands and teet quickly put ON the purple
of imperial death. DR.. Milroy relates that
when the cholera prevailed at Ktrqachee,
in lS45, "within a little more than five ffiiH-
utes hale and hearty men were seized,
cramped, collapsed and died." At Teher
ran, the capital OF Persia, multitudes who
were attacked dropped down suddenly in
state of lethargy and expired. In Muscat,
Arabia, ten minutes often did not elapse
from the first apparent seizure till the fatal
termination. " u 'h'17 2 f.tye ei0 ~
But when travelling westward, the pesti-
hence has exhibited other phenomena, TAX
ing more time to accomplish its fatal work,