Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-08-23

The Cholera.


from the Pail hshds1eHe.l
The Tiaes fears that a terrible and
subtle enemy Is approaching our
shores by an accustomed and we'll
marked track. For some time past
cholera has been raYaging Persia,
where famine has contributed to nour-
ish the pestilence. 1t has erept on
slowly through the steppes OF southern
Russia until 1t, has grasped Poland,
and has made It's appearance In o ytru-
lent form In the eastern provinces OF
Prussia. In tropical Asia, among Q
teeming population to whom sanitary
precautions are unknown, cholera has
a permanent home. A correspondent,
recently returned from India, called
attention a day or two ago to the state
of things by which the disease Is pro-
pagated In the East. In India there Is
no system of drainage, no purified
water supply except In great cities.
The germs Of disease are never de-
stroyed or removed they are trans
ferred by water or wind from n
household to another, and allowed to
tester freely In the filthy, close and
darkened habitations Of the natives.
When an unhealthy season causes q
particularly yirulent outbreak Of chol-
era in India, the epidemic rapidly
crosses the Himalayas, spreads among
the nomad tribes Of Central Asia,
Whose primitive habits do not tend to
check the pestilence; makes Its way
steadily along the shores OF the Cas-
man into Southern Russia, Is nurtured
among the miserable peasant popula-
ton Of that region, and finally pene-
trates by way of Poland and Pomer..
ania into the heart Of western and
civilized Europe. Happily, there Is
some time, though not a moment TO
spare, left for preparation. Cholera
does not hasten its solemn and CHASTITY
march even to find its victims nnready
and helpless: 1t Is quite possible In a
month or two to frame such a system
of sanitary regulations, and to confer
on the proper authorities such effective
powers as may enable US to meet the
epidemic without serious apprehen-
sions. In the first place, the destruc-
tion of the excreta from cholera pa
tients must DO insisted upon under the
heaviest penalties, and a system Of In
spectlon adequate to enforce this pro-
vision must be organized.
Without these preliminary SAFE
guards We cannot hope TO resist the
enemy with any success. So long as
the germs OF the disease r allowed to
pass through the sewers into the rivers,
to be washed up by tho tide against
our seaside villages, to be waited about
our streets In the form Of an impalpa-
BILE dust, we cannot hope for any good
result from sanitary measures Of the
ordinary kind. Cleanliness, ventila-
%tion-above all, a pure water supply
are advantages that cannot be over
valued. But untirthe germs Of disease
are Systematically destroyed and ex-
cluded from any chance Of mingling
with the air we breathe and the water
we drink, nothing will control the
ravages Of cholera. The recent inves-
LEGATIONS into the quality Of the water
provided for the Inhabitants of London
by the various companies do not re-
assure us. The water supply ought to
be looked to if there Is yet time. But
every precaution Of this kind Is SUBJ
ordinate to the main preventive meas
ure, which 1t will need special power
to carry into effect-the destruction Of
the cholera germs before their diffusion.