New-York tribune., 1867-05-29
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
PREPARATION FOR CHOLERA.

Registrar Harris has addressed letter TO the
President OF the Metropolitan Board OF Health wherein
he says that last Autumn nodering infection
Of Asiatc cholera has been reknded in both Europe and
America, but that important progress has meanwhile,
been made In the practical application Of preyentibe
sanitary Several hundred scientific physicians
in Europe have prepared reports upon their special
neutrality-suspicious. mcroscOpica and chemical
in cholera One hundred and ten Of these reports have
already been transmitted TO the French Imperial Acad
emy of Science and various prizes have been awarded
The grand result all these Investigations is the estab
fishing of the fact that cholera, which may DC prOpa-
gated may also be warded off by timely resort to proper
precautionary measures Dr. Harris says that the en-.
pOyment OF specific deinecants Of cholera excrement
commenced in this country at the QuaTntine ospi-
tai Staten Island in 1855, these disnfeCtants being
certain soluble salts possessing the power Of arrestng
and Destroying certain gases and products Of pntrefac-
ton. But adds the Doctor, those iron salts and most
other metallic salts cannot well be used on the soiled
clothing and bedding nor do they act very permanently,
Tor they may soak away, or may eady De changed INTO
nsOube and inert substances Hence TO meet the ne
cessiiyto powerful and most permanent and unehange
able antsepuc resort ~ ad 10 cooc Gc'0 ana tne coa
tar compounds. Scientific chemists and eXperimenter5
and all welnfoTmed sanitary officers now agree that
saturated solutions OF cOppeIs ana caiDCc acu are W
the best and cheapest dsnectants that can be used
against cholera The Metropolitan Board OF Health in
Newfork was the hst sanitary DOdy 10 PROVIDE IOf us
Infection as an essential and distinct branch OF sanitary
service Glasgow soon folOwed,and in southampton and
Bristol In England the business was in July last done
by trained hands and with marvellous success ST. Louis
has just organized perfect system o. dslniecng depOs
and sanitary care IN the twelve wards OF that much
threatened city. In HewOrleans, Nashville, Memphis,
Chicago, and several other cities the sanitary
authorities organizing the same good system.
This system first suggested by the COun-
% very Ci aar M he pna s Re epden G III was n
certain towns the Mississippi south of Cairo II was
and certain points Rorthward the Mississippi But
recent information warrants the hope that those out
breaks have been totally eXtinguisbed ST. Thomas and
several West India Islands sniered more or less from tine
malady in the winter and as early as the 10th OF Decen
detachment oi $50 soldiers from Harris and Governors
Islands embarked on the steamship san Francisco for
soldiers continued in health until the morning Of January
3 wen 40 miles ND the san Juan del NOrtc River cholera
attacked soldier, and others seized with IL during
the succeeding hours ana at the time o enDarkatOn
Jan % tho Pacific Coast, ~ and deaths mad
occurred The soldiers had been fed on ha,ack excus-
yely Early IN April, an outbreak o cholera occurred III
the City OF Porto Allegro, IN South America, ana IN eW
have been associated with German and French com
nerco that j. held with that disturbed region. About
Paris. but 1t reported not to have spread TO auy extent
In the town Of Ebefed, near the Rhine and about 10
miles sOuth-eastvard from Rotterdam, the epidemic
appeared and has spread to some extent. That
town is IN region that sends many emlgrants
These facts can be understood by our people without
awakening anxiety or fear, for although there may be
elsewhere, anu thGGs there may I've fclealcd OotDreakS
In tie lower regions Of the Mississippi, the means Of san
my PaOseOaio az apie, ii -, ICY ny ipiii
But Wherever ID places that are ready Tor the kihdihg
OF the epidemic the true means Of sanitary protection
not applied, tie pcsence may yet make deadly raw
ages Tie watchwOyd OF the Metropolitan Board Of
Health" Timely and Active Preventive Measures"
should ne aGOpltu cNcIyMhcle.
MORIUARY REPORT FOR YORK AID BGOOKLYS.
During the week ending at D. on Saturday last, 36
deaths occurred this city, and OF these s6 were IN the
public Institutions In Brooklyn 40 deaths including y
the Kings Comfy Institutions OF the deaths IN New
York 81 from fOnair diseases, measles being the
malady which led the lstwth 10 fatal eases scaratna,
typhoid l0 aud tyIeIs, 3 Nearly all the victims
children whose parents dwell IN tenement houses.
During the past fortnight the Registrar OF Records had
reports Of ypms and typhoid fcvers, - eases and 10
deaths sCaratina, IS and y deaths; measles 60
and deaths The houses in which the fatal eases
occurred were, with few exceptions Woknown yeccI-
nests. The sanitary usefulness Of special cleansing and
dsuGCton In those foul trnemeDs, says Dr. Haill las
been well proved by the results that have fol
lowed the work OF scaveneing and dislnfeeuOn.
The decrease Of mortality In NewI has been so well
marked the past few weeks attract deserved aten
ticn This week put record the smallest number OF
deaths that for many years has occurred IN the city
This b. a fOrtuous occurrence, is II by ac
cdent that certain districts Of Brooklyn that were until
recently noted for XII local deathrate, now offer bat
few victims 10 preventac causes OF dlaih TINS Tact is
cOnspcuously shown IN the Eighth WaId in that city
territory extending from Fiatbushaye. and Prospect
Park 10 NcWUtrccht and in which the former deatrae
was more than % IN 1900 yearly there were but two
deaths last week and but the week before, ont Of
population Of l00O. Infant mortality in the first year
equal t0 2t0i per cent Of the total IN NewIO, and
10 1851 per cent OF the total IN Brooklyn and the deaths
under five years equal TO s cent OF the total in
tcorner cry, and 10 i5 per cent OF a IN the latter The
saving oi life last week greatest both relatively and
numerically ~ the children OF the TWO cities.