Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-18


From the Health Report this morning il
viii be seen BY all that the. cholera prevailed
yesterday to an extent that it has not reached
before during its present visitation; and we
regard II as alike unwise and unworthy to
attempt to conceal the fact from ourselves or
others. All efforts to smother the facts lead
70 exaggeration. Therefore, it is best to
know the truth, or as nearly the truth as can
be attained. While there are large nssnl-
Der of cases occurring, more, indeed, than
the Board Of Health reports exhibit, there
is no panic, and no occasion for one.
Our people are in the pursuit Of
their ordinary ayocations, concerned, it
is true, as reasonable men should be, in
the midst Of pestilence; but giving no
evidence Of general alarm. They have
generally learned the necessity of prudence
in eating and drinking and regularity of
habits, and philosophically consider that un-
der such system Of living there is little
probability Of any attack from the disease.
The question is frequently asked how long
the disease will continue to prevail. We
have no answer, and do not know that any
one else is any wiser. From former visits Of
cholera, itmay be fairly inferred that in short
while the number Of cases will begin to d.
minish, and the violence Of the attacks
commence to decrease. Eighteen days have
elapsed since its first appearancein the Lick
Branch district, and If it has not already at
tanned its maximum Of yirulence, there is
reason te think that il will soon do SO, and
from that day decline until it quite disap-
pears.
It is proper to state in this connection,
that some Of the current criticisms en- the
Board of Health reports are unjust and I'M
founded. 1t was the intention of that or
ganization to present daily accurate state
ment Of the facts. That they have not done
so to the entire satisfaction of the pub
lie, is not their fault, and the discrep-
ancy between the published report and
the facts, is readily applicable. In the
first place, the public are prone to exagge-
rate the results Of an excitement Of any
character, and the official reports are much
nearer the truth than the rumors one meets
with at the street corners. Secondly, the
Suspension Of the Board of Health extends
only to the city limits, while large proper
ton Of the cases Of cholera, the majority,
indeed, are in the adjacent suburbs. Third
ly, the duty Of preparing these reports is
not in the hands of salaried officer who
can afford the time to visit every per-
son or locality capable of afording full
information, but is done by gentleman of
the medical profession, whose labors, like
those of his associates on the Health Board,
are selfimposed and gratuitous. The Board
have made provision to receive reports, and
requested by written circular, that all cases
shall be reported by agiven hour; but men,
bers of the medical faculty are busiIy enga-
ged, and cannot always be prompt in their
returns. Fourthly, many cases occur that
are known only to the friends, theundertaker
and the sexton. Especially is this so in re-
gard to negro paupers. We learn that the
Board of Health are endeavoring to perfect
means for obtaining fuller and entirely aecu-
rate reports; but even as the case now stands,
we may safely say that if the public will strike
balance between the published reports and
the rumors they will approximate the truth.
In such times, stout heart, a mind ac-
lively employed in ones occupation, a
cheerful temper, the avoidance of excuses
in diet and drink, and prompt medication
in the incipient stages of any disorder that
may assail the system, are the best prophy-
Tactics. If these can be maintained and fol-
lowed, one may feel himself comparatively