The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-20
Is The RplzOotie IufeetiOus :
h EaItor, d b. IntlIlI,,neer.

70 ths Editors Of The 1HtklISGoeeT.
Il seems that the theory advanced
BY me lew days ago TN your pAper1 IN
regard 70 the rapid Spreading OF ept1o0tIc,
or horse disease, through human agencies
has not Only been denOduced, but myselr
pronO1pced Gap-head, Tor prUmulgSting
such an GbSurdity; and This, too, BY some
monster savGnt, and correspondent d the
ReciE.er, over the signature Of "Hippo."
! Inter, IRON the name assumed, thai he
wishes It Understood thGS be is somewhat
closely allied 70 that noble animal, the
hoTe- l hope, however, that the re
lationship Is not due N the same paternity
which enables the celebrated mule family
10 claim the same honor.
This correspondent, "HIppo;" declares
that this disease Is uoihing but q bad cold
or simply iDfiuenzI, snpefindueed by the
sudden changes And humidity Of the At.
mephcTr. II such be the case, We may
henceO:tb LOOK EUT al sudden changes u
the weather TO cOnSe by railrOsd, or slOug
the great thOrcugh!4Its Of travel, and
not across lois a. hefetoIOIG For observe,
this disease maize its aPpearaDce In BOi
iAiO during the erfly part 81 Alumni,
ard from thence It has spread along our
great liEes OF travel. anil bzs .Ouiy sue
ceeded ia getting here lea days ago.
admit The disease reSembies, and Der.
hSps IL ia influenza; common cough Il
sometimes mistaken iOE WbOOping cough;
VEiOlOid has very striking resemblance
Of small poX, and that great scOurge Of
mankind, the chOleTa, has but few symp-
toms that may not DO found In a violent
case Of cholera m0rbus. Nov, while .
part Of these diseases may be superin.
duced by the thermal and Other conditions
Of the atmosphere, even Hippo must
admit the other part 10 be contagious. Il
Is even believed by some that the small
pox injection Is not only portable on your
coat tail, but msy be carried through the
medium Of friendly letter from one
friend 70 another In different parts Of the
country. Now may not this disease be
Of some peculiar type u horae infipenLS,
that a. yet we do not 1nily! comprehend
and Why not believe Il probable, and u
least worthy Of some investigation, that
the atmosphere IN the immediate vicinity
Of the horse disease may become 50 i'm.
pregnsted with the injection, thai cloth.
Ing or other flexible material, coming 10
contact with 1t, may so absorb the virus
In vital and organic form that II may he
carried thus through the agency Of man
10 distant and different parts Of the couu-
try.
The disease Is not new, its history has
been traced back Tor over twenty.three
hundred years 1t has occurred in differ
ent parts Of the world during the present
century some eighteen or nineteen times
under every degree Of climate and u ali
seasons Of the year; At some times 10 q
very mild form, al others It's ravAges have
beeG 70 great that the ignorant attributed
it TO wllcbcraiL But no doubt there have
always been "HippOS," who told them 10
just let it rip no use 10 try preventing
its rSpid spread; il 10 nothing but Q bad
cold, and horse will take 1t Just as quick
where he isn't as where he is
am glsd the most reasonable part Of
community believe that there is come
truth in the theory, and also that pru.
dence should dictate 70 man, collectively
and individually, the propriety Of exe!cis
ing over the breaking ont Of this disease
the same authority and precautions TIA,
they would over the introduction Of small.
pox or yellow fever.
Had such precautions been exercised
here on the FIST discovery Of It's exis.
teDce, have no doubt bat that any OF Us
could to-day get load Of coal when we
wanted it, and Betsy Jane could have
ventured into the city with q basket Of
butter. J. n. B.