The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-30
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The Progress of the Cholera i'm the
West

clan of New York, recently visited the
West to examine into the character of the
cholera now ravaging so many cities and
towns in that section of the country. On
Wednesday he reported the result of his
observations to the board of health of New
York, and the report is 20 interesting that
we copy its material portions. Accom-
panying the report were maps of the cities
OF Nashville, Memphis and Louisville,
showing the portions of the city most in
fected with disease, which, as usual with
the disease, were in houses situated either
ON marshy grounds or on land reclaimed
from water. After giving description of
the gradual progress of the disease from
New Orleans up the Mississippi valley, DR..
Peters described the treatment and history
OF the disease in the several cities men
toned. He said
The Memphis physicians regarded the
disease as true Asiatic cholera merely pre-
cipitated and modified by malarious and
diatetic influences. They urged cleanliness
and disinfection of persons and clothes
vigorously, and forbade the nightly assem-
blagc of negroes. BY these means the dis
ease was quickly stamped out AT Nash
vile the localiZing causes of cholera were so
extended and apparent that no importation
of the disease was looked for, or generally
believed in. Nor are the Nashville physi-
clans much to blame for fastening their at
tcntion almost exclusively upon these Sc
condary and localizing causes of the dis
ease They are so patent in Nashville
that they force themselves upon every
ones attention. Comparatively few deaths
occurred in the highest, cleanest. best ven
tilated, best drained and best paved por-
tons of Nashville during the whole of the
terrible epidemic which ragged on its out
skirts. The cholera was almost exclusively
confined to the outer limits and low por-
tiOns of the city. and carried off hundreds
of those living near the small streams or So
called branches, ticks, and runs of water.
the Lick branch on one side and
Wilson's spring branch upon the other,
along which, says DR.. Jones, there has been
a rapid and progressive crowding of houses.
or rather huts and shanties, either clustered
together in narrow streets and alleys, or
more frequently huddled together without
system, and crowded with careless and
filthy population, wholly deficient in vent-
lation, without any facilities for the forcing
OF hygenic regulations, forming most
favorable field for the Judgment and spread
of disease like cholera. and rendering it diff
cult, if not wholly impossible to devise any
efficient measures for the arrest of commli-
nicable diseases in them
Along the line of these streams the chol-
era also prevailed in 1866, at which time
the disease came from the north. The pre-
sent year the cholera prevailed some time
before its presence was discovered. The
rx-ac ,of lx,I
9th, when they amounted to twenty-one.
The disease had in the meantime been pro-
crossing unheeded among the careless pop
llation. Notwithstanding the assurances
Of the city authorities that the disease was
only mild type of cholera, an enormous
panic and stampede of the citizens at once
took place, some of whom carried the dis
ease with them to other portions of the
t.s.
AT Edgefeld, just across the Cumberland
river, and scarcely half mile distant from
broad, well-ventiated streets. Its immu-
nifty was so remarkable that a public
was held ''for being only par
TALLY visited by the epidemic. Similar
cases are very common in 1S49 1t did not
spread from st. Louis to Altoona for more
than a month. At Gallatin, Woodburn and
Bowling Green the first cases were all i'm
SOut VI inC 4NusiNillC itEiiNt'
died in the hotels, followed by more deaths
among the inmates, another general scat
tering to more distant places with the same
general result. At Bowling Green, as well
as in Murfreesboro and Nashville, the same
avoidance by the disease of the high
grounds was noticeable. Louisville, very
clean city, built on sandy, gravelly soil,
with broad and well paved streets, widely
separated houses, clean courts, alleys, yards
and stables, for the fifth time escaped chol-
era. This city had few or no cases of
cholera in 1882, 1888, 1S4S, 1S49, 1854,
1866 or in 1878. The disease has been re-
peatedly landed there from steamboats, and
railroads, but has never taken ROOT, al
though the city lies in the direct line of
travel both by river and rail between Nash
vile and Cincinnati.
Cincinnati is not as clean as Louisville
or as foul as Nashville. Cholera has pur-
sued an indeterminate course respecting
this city As far back as May % the dis
ease was brought to the city by steam
boat from New Orleans there being one
case on the boat which also carried 10
other passengers. There was another in
fected vessel from Memphis. The disease
pursued a slow but relentless course in Gin
cinnati creeping from person to person.
As the drinking water is good no general
outbreak of the disease has occurred. 1t
has always been perfectly safe to visit the
city. The Cincinnati authorities preferred
to give me list of deaths from June 10Th
to July /. OF course it was Impossible to
trace the history of the disease from May
22d to June 10th but from the latter date
| believe the majority of cases were re-
corded at the health office, with name, age,
date, residence, and duration of attack OF
the case of each person. The following
statement shows the yirulence of the dis
ease /; One person dying in one hour after
being attacked, . persons in four hours,
person in hours, 10 persons in q hours,
/ person in Z hoursy persons in eight
hours, persons in 8 hours, persons in 10
hours, person in II hours, 20 persons in
| 12 hours, 2 persons in 10 hours, 8 persons
in IA hours, 8 persons in 10 hours, II per-
sons in Is hours, IL persons in ~ hours,
and 13 persons in AZ hours.
The disease has been scattered over the
entire city. Cincinnati is standing men
ace and danger to the rest of the country
more dangerous, perhaps, to other cities
than il is to itself and its own residents and
visitors. The type of cholera which have
seen at the west is of the most virulent and
malignant Asiatc cholera, marked by sud-
denness of attack, rapidity of fatal result
| by rice water discharges, cramps, blueness,
| GOODNESS of the surface, nose, and breath !;
pulselessness. absence of electricity of the
skin, sunken eyes and pinched features, In
short, scarcely any disease more viru'ent
and malignant can he conceived OF. IL has
advanced north more slowly because the
emigration from New Orleans upward is
far less than IL used to be.
|