The union Democrat., 1871-09-09
TnE APPROACH OF CHOLERA.
How it Reaches New York-Its Former
Routes-Precautionary Measures.

/
| Rouies-Precautionary Measures.
Cholera it is clearly proved, has never been
brought to America except in ships. Early
| in 1882 the brig Carriek, with emigrants
| from England. arrived at Quebec. Forty
two of the passengers had died on the voyage.
and the disease broke out in severe epide
mic form at Quebec on the 9th of June. By
the 10th it had travelled up the St. Lawrence
to Montreal, and soon reached Detroit. In
| the latter part of June the ship Henry ",
arrived at Now York with cholera patients,
and the disease appeared in tho city on the
9th. 1t soon spread up the Hudson river,
Joined the Canada trail and was quickly car
ried TO the West.
| During the second epidemic in Europe. in
| 1913, two vessels sailed from Havre, where
cholera prevailed ; one, the New York, for
New York, and the other the Swanton fer
New Orleans. Both containing large num-
bers of emigrants. On one the cholera ap-
peared when l6 days out. with Ii deaths on
the other in 26 DAYS, with l3 deaths. The
| New York arrived at Staten Island December
., 1913. and severe epidemic broke out, but
was confined TO the Quarantine Grounds.
The Swanton arrived at New Orleans Decem-
Der lth no quarantine was instituted, and
| in two days patients were taken into the
Charity Hospital. This was the beginning
of severe epidemic. which increased in
power all Winter, till in June, lS49, $500
died of it in New Orleans. December 30th,
1913, it reached Memphis. by steamboattrom
New Orleans, where for p days it was con-
fined to the landing places, but then spread.
In the Spring it was carried to St. Louis and
Cincinnati and the whole of the Mississippi
Valley. In October it reached Sacramento
by means of overland emiSrants, and almost
at the sane time by the United States steam
steamer Northerncr, from Panama. The
Chinese of California suffered most severely.
Whatever after occasion there may have
been, the poison which wrought all this ruin
was directly traced to infected clothes on
those two ships. In the case of the ship New
York it proved that one of the passengers
had "a chest of clothing aat belonged to
person W who had died of the cholera. A pc
culiar feature of the cholera of 1919 was the
violence with which it ragged at the foot of
Reed street, Philadelphia. The dwellings
were we'll built but few yards off the sewer
emptied its contents upon morass covering
many acres. From 1913 to 1854 the effects
of the Swanton epidemic were regularly car
ried to Forts Laramie and Leavenworth by
troops and emigrants, the last named place
being then rendezvous of all troops going
| further West.
In the latter part of 1858 cholera was
brought to Liverpool, and prevailed during
that Winter all through England. In the
| following Fall cholera ships came in great
numbers to New York. Ia October alone
iwenty-three infected ships arrived with l.,
14l cases. and the disease became epidemic
at Staten Island Quarantine, but seemed to
| I ont la Winter In the Snrinp
other vessels gave it start. and it spread to
the large cities, the epidemic actually break
ing out in Detroit and Chicago before it did
| in New York, where the emigrents landed.
In October, 1865 the steamer Atlanta brought
cholera from Havre to New York. 1t was
also brought by the steamers England and
Virginia. The outbreak of the disease on
Wards, Hart's. Governor and Tybee Islands
began with Atlanta passengers.
There have been fourteen epidemlcs of
cholera at Staten Island, hut ouly four have
reached New York. There tas been grad
ual improvement in English and American
quarantine and sanitary regulations. In
1882 twenty-three cases Of cholera at our
quarantine, vet there were 3,572 deaths in
the city in 1919, $50 cases at quarantine
and 5 OF deaths in the city; in 1854, AS
eases at quarantine an 2.509 deaths in the
city in 1866. Cos cases in the Lower Bay
and only 1,2l0 deaths in TIE city of New
York, Brooklyn and vicinity. The same de-
crease is shown in London where the deaths
were in lS49, II, l37 in 1854. 1918; in
1866. 5.54S, of which ;, 900 were in the East
err District.
The leading physicians of this city seem to
follow their ''focks" into the country as
faithfully as the leading clerymen. Among
ten of the chief doctors who were visited in
search of ''views' concerning the cholera
prospects, only two were found at home.
Those seen had not gi7en the subject much
attention. One said that we rarely escape
the epidemic here when it prevails in Eng
land and France. As to sanitary prepara
tions. he laid great stress upon the complete
cutting off of all possibility of exhalation from
sewers into dwellings, and that too much
cannot be said about the necessity of keeping
the sources and banks of the Croton free from
nuisanees To this end the population
should be kept sparse in that region.
The Brooklyn Health Officer says there is
not the least danger of the cholera or yellow
fever reaching that city this year, and that
be has made no preparation to meet these
plaques beyond keeping the city clean. -Aete
York Tribune.
The oldes: woman in Maine is Miss Bertha