New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-14
THE CHOLERA OF 1873.
By WILLIAM H. HoLCOMBE, NJ. d

FIN the United States Medical and surcica Journal
Tor October.I
A pernicious gastro-iptestinal catarrh.
reported as cholera spoyadica prevailed in
New Orleans from March to July. Like
the great epidemics of the Asiatic cholera
it was preceded by influenza and followed
by dysentery, although in a minor degree.
But there were so many differences that the
old experts of 1880 could not confound
the recent epidemic with the terrible mai
ady that is said to have originated on the
banks OF the Gauges.
There was no Asiatic cholera nearer to US
than Central Europe ana no recorded adj
vance OF 1t westward. Our disease was
not imported by sea-going vessels, nor
brought By railways. 1t originated here,
and not on the river banks, nor among the
marine population. 1t did not spread from
any one centre or focus. The first five or
six deaths occurred a: points in the city far
distant from each other. There was no
sign whatever OF contagion. There were
multlp!e deaths reported from but two
houses IN the city. L saw, thlrty-one cases,
and every case was IN different house,
and IN different family.
My general skeptlcism as TO the current
and popular anthology OF diseases was
strengthened BY my observations of this
particular malady. Cholera Is said to be
a disease OF hot weather. and the winter
epldemics OF Northern Europe are ascribed
to the dense heat and flth OF over
crowded ana Ill ventilated rooms. Our dis
ease began when the weather was cold, and
vanished entirely Just ct our point OF ex-
IRENE neat.
In three fourths OF nv cases, no cause
whatever having the least rational basis
could be assigned for the attack Make out
full list of all the supposed causes of
cholera, and with a full practice you can
jot down case after case as having occurred
under precisely the opposite conditions
In leaving New Orleans it did not follow
the main routes of travel. More cars and
passengers run from our city daily to
Mobile and to Louisville than to any other
point and those cities have escaped en-
tirely. Nashville, which suffered sooner
and more severely than other places, is en-
tirely Off the direct line from New Orleans,
and has very little communication with us
The disease, moreover, has passed by great
cities, railways and river courses, and fallen
like thunderbolt on sundry obscure and
remote inland towns in the interior of the
Southern and Western States.
The causation of cholera is still an unrav-
eled mystery, and so will ever remain as
long as anthology is studied from standpoints
exclusively physical and materialistc and
the great spiritual rapport between man
and nature entirely ignored.
There were 232 deaths by cholera report
ed in the four months. But many of the
1863 deaths reported during the same time
as cholera morbus, cholera infantum, etc.
were. no doubt, with more truth to be as
signed to the prevailing type-the PERM
cious castro intestinal catarrh WHY
should more than hundred deaths I've ar
tributed to cholera ruorbus in 1879, when
ONLY three deaths were renorted in IS-3
from that rarely fatal maladr1 The deaths
by cholera infantum are renortad az doubie
those of last wear. whereas the eTtraor.
binary, comparative cooIness of our sum.
mer ough6 to have made that disease less
fatal than usual.
NV impression il thai the disease was of
a very mild TYNE. ami that tbe fatal cases
were the wholly neolected ones. or the re,
suit of outra ceouslv had treatment. Cbol-
era, even the most malignant Asiatic.
leaves the brain and mental faculties con,