Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-09
The weekly report of the city sexton
shows the mortality from cholera as follows:
4Olai's'sssr
o cases ara reported afLer Sept. 18th.

" " I" " S.........-.-.-1O
" " " I5............. /
10y
No cases are reported after Sept. 18th.
This report includes only Cleveland pro-
| per, which then numbered about $4,000
inhabitants. After the middle of Septem-
Der the cholera seems to have gradually
| disappeared, though cases occasionally
occurred every year until 1854. Mr.. Alex.
| Seymour, Chairman of the Board Of Health
in 1919, died of cholera in 1850, and there
wereIa few other isolated cases which
proved fatal.
THE CHOLERA IN sANDUSET.
In Is4g the cholera ragged with terrible
fatality in the cities of Ssndusky and
Toledo. In speaking of the condition Of
sandusky the True Democrat, of August ?,
1919, says: " The terrors of the pestilenee
in its fearful malignity, no imagination can
conceive. saudusky has been like doom
ed place" A dispatch from Lower San
dusky OF August LIST, says: There are only
two hundred people left in town. The rest
have fed to the country on account OF the
mortality from the cholera in Sandusky."
Up to this time only tico case5 Of cholera
had occurred in the former place
In S~anduskY scarcely a thousand re-
NAMED in the city. 1t WAS hardly possible
to get a decent burial for the dead. On
Sundays most of the churches were IN
opened and no business of any kind was
done. Fifty deaths a day was not an extra
ordinary number.
DELEGATION FROM CLEVELAND.
July 2Sth the people telegraphed 10
Cleveland for medical aid and DIR. Aekley
and others instantly proceeded to the
doomed city. Arriving there he telegraph
ed for medicine, nurses and more medical
aid. Drs. Beaumont, Sperry and Lauder
dale and a large number of nurses went to
his assistance, taking a stock of medicine
and money contributed by the citizens.
The City Council met in special session to
devise measures for the reliefo the stricken
/ sister city. Money and nurses and medi-
cines were sent out il generous supplies.
/ Medical aid also came from Cincinnati, a
hospital was established, and as soon as tho
panic subsidized the disease yielded and
soon disappeared.
Not one of the large number of physi-
| clans and nurses who went on the perilous
mission was touched by the disease, while
by their timely assistance hundreds of lives
were saved.
In 1854 there was no panic here. People
| remained at home and attended to their
| ordinary business as if there was nc
| cholera in the city. Business was some
what affected by the exaggerated reports
| which vent abroad and deferred people
from the country from coming in for sup
plies. As in 1s49, it visited all parts of the
city alike, but was much more severe in
form and more commonly fatal, though the
cases were not SO numerous in proportion
to the population.
REPORTS.
There are no accurate or reliable records
of the number of cases or deaths. It was
deemed inexpedient to report the number
of cases of attack, as unprincipled physi-
clans aud irregular Practitioners took every
opportunity to exaggerate the list of
cases under their care, and such reports
would not represent the real exrent of the
disease, and would occasion unnecessary
alarm. The publication of the number of
deaths was determined upon, and for a time
daily reports were made; but the Catholics
rerused to give any statistics in regard to in
terments. About 225 interments from
cholera are reported for Woodland City and
West Side cemeteries. This is probably
considerably less than half the fatal
cases. The average number of interments
during the hot weather was from twelve to
fourteen per day. The greatest number
of deaths from cholera in one day was
twenty-five.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Board of Health was appointed early, |
and was composed of Drs. r. c.. Hopkins,
President, W. NJ. Skinner and ". NJ. Prem
tiss, with James Stacy, Esq, as Health In
speetor. ALI was done bythem which could
be done, and the entire absence of all panic
was due in great measure to their efforts
No public hospital was established, but
great zeal was shown in relieving the poor
and distressed. The first report published
by the Board was dated August sth. It
states that eight interments from cholera
occurred on the 2nd, and gives the cholera
interments for the four previous days at
thirty-two. The cholera had been in the
city for many weeks previous to this date,
and the publication of reports was induced
by the exaggerated rumors which went
a6road Of the deaths by scores" here, and
received eredence in The country.
On Sept. 10th a final report was made
stating that, although occasional cases were
occurring in the city, they deemed it I'M
necessary to make any mention of them.
There was no attempt made by the Board,
or by the city authorities, to conceal the ex-
tent Of the rsTages of the epidemic, and
greatregret was expressed at the refusal Of
the Catholic priests to give statistics. In
commenting on the disappearance of the
cholera from the city, the True Democrat
says:
"The past summer has been a sickly one
very sfckiy for our city. Certain classes
in cur midst have escaped, and compare
lively few of those able to take care of
themselves have suffered. But the new
corners, especially the Irish, have suffered
severely.
"The Board of Health made every e~fortto
get and give accurate reports, but they were
unable to do it.
"The Catholics refused TO make returns, or
made those that were so manifestly incor-
rect that they were rejected. Thus ne full
statistics were presented at any time, Of the
real number of deaths in the city. This
difficulty should be remedied, and the law
should be made to reach every party, relig-
ious or otherwise, and compel them to state
the truth, and the whole truth, on the sub
ject Wherever the power exists to enforce
this right, it should be exerted to prevent
any similar difficulty hereafter"
%EEoRIES.
A thousand theories, each well supported
BY facts, Of the causes and origin Of the