The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-05


Geving that it will Of interest to the
public at this time, and perhaps per-
form an important use:
New Theory Respecting the Cholera.
work of considerable importance
..s been '',';shed in Germany during
the past year (1s65l by pr +. ax LAX re5-
tenkober, bearing the title: "Iavestiga-
tions and Observations in regard to
the Propagation of Cholera, with Re
fections on the Proper Means of Ar
resting its Progress. The author is
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at
me University of Munich, and has
been employed by the Government du-
ring the whole of last year, investiga-
ting the progress and mode of propa-
cation of the disease in the principal
towns in Bavaria. The present work
;s the result of his and other physi-
cians' researches, in the form of re-
port to the Government and has given
such complete satisfaction that its gra-
tuitous distribution has been ordered
throughout the kingdom at the expense
of the Government.
The author advances no new theory,
but produces q volume of facts of a
most positive and conclusive character.
These facts could hardly have been as
certained with the same precision III
any other country; for not only wouldit
have been impossible to ascertain the
age, condition, modo of life, ETC., OF
the sick, but the patients themselves
would not willingly have subjected
themselves to similar control. OBJ
seryations were made in Munich, Nu-
rernburg, Augsburg, Wurzburg, Eb-
rach, Ingolstadt, Gamersheim, Rattis-
bone, Franstein and Freysing, and the
author compares his results with the
,'report of the mortality of cholera in
England, 184S-49," and the reports on
the cholera in India during the years
1917, 1878 and 1919, by James James
son. He shows conclusiveiy that there
IA no contradiction in these reports:
the facts ascertained in India are pre-
cisely those which have been observed
laterin England, and but last year in Ba-
varia; that any apparent contradiction
is due solely to accompanying circum:
stances by which the results were mod
fed, and which in part are mentioned
by the authors themselves The facts
which DIR. Pettenkober claims to have
fully established are as follows:
/. That it is not contagious in the
usual sense of the word; but that il
can, nevertheless, be carried from one
place to another.
2. That it always follows the usua
routes of commerce.
3. That no elevation above the leve
of tie ocean furnishes a guaranty
against the disease, nor is any deptf
necessarily exposed to its ravages:
.',ot no contagious cholera matte
is floating in the aJln~-.D w -,
sequently the disease is not props "'o'
by currents of air.
5. That it is not propagated through
the water.
s. That it is not propagated through
the earth.
7. That the earth receives and de
yelops the cholera contagion from th'
excrements of diseased persons.
3. That excrements from a diseased
person thrown into sink or priTY, ar
capable of Transforming the who'll
mass into hearth of cholera conta
gion.
9. That the gasses disengaged b
the decomposition of organic substan
ces, especially of excrements' penetrat
the earth, rise to the surface and be
come then the cause of fevers and {
cholera.
TO- That there has not been singl
case of cholera observed in Bavarl
that could not be traced to that 'peclt
Of infection.
IL. That the stools Of persons affil'
ted with cholera, or that peculiar spf
cies of diarrhea which usually pre-
cedes cholera, are more infectious tha
those who are actually seized with th
disease.
f2. That cholera is always carried
a place where it has not yet appeared
by a diseased person. and communlc'
ted through excrements broughs
contact with the earth; and that tnel
is no other way of propagatlng u
disease. Immediate contact with q
patient, inhaling the air OF the SIC
k-N