Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-08-09
ChoIera N a Mountain TnMn.

A correspondent writes from Bir-
mingham, Ala. Charlottesville Courier
Journal of the recent ravages of dis
ease there, as follows
"Cholera broke out with fatal viru-
lence. As usual, the negroes suffered
most and, although they died by the
dozens, the wiseacres declared there
was no cholera in the place few were
so consistent in their idiocy as TO refuse
to change their diet although DR.. Bell
had not then published his plea for GU
cumbers the fool.killer. in their case,
is spared some trouble. Then stray
Cling force of men is put 70 work at
some of the nastiest bitches, but it was
too late; the disease broke out every
where and would yield to no treatment.
The Board of Health attempted some
measures, but all organized movements
failed. The people were too new to
each other for concerted movements.
The poorer classes were scattered and
unknown, and they were frequently at
the point OF death before they sought
medical relief; so they died by scores,
and the people fed from the place by
hundreds. The physicians were earnest,
energetic, and faithful j; they We're
ready at all hours to so wherever they
were called, although by far the greater
number of their cases were clarity pa
tents. This continued for two weeks
| tho Y,narfal3 kxr ,v,
creasing, sometimes falling now two
or three deaths a day, now seven or
eight, with steadily decreasing popu-
latlon. The most hopeful began to de-
spond. Men who had before chaffed
each other about the cholera scare, be-
gan themselves to be affected. Then,
too, the disease assumed new phase.
Instead OF being preceded by diarrh9a
for day or longer, it developed almost
in an hour the worst features of genuine
cholera. People dined in apparent
health, and rested that night in coffin.
Business was suspended, and the streets
deserted. 1t became difficult to find
men to dig the graves or take the bodies
to them. Nearly the whole population
became affected. OF course they didn't
all have the cholera, but the malaria
seemed to enter into everybody's sys-
tenn with greater or less activity.
Whether it was that the best and truest
men remained, or whether there is that
residuum of unselhshness and true
heroism in each human heart, l don't
know but certainly the noble work
done here in the last ten days would
dispel from any mind the belief that
the Samaritans were an extinct people.
Where month ago all was jealousy and
dissension, now is generous rivalry in
the work of aiding the sick. No one,
however poor, but has nurses and med
ical attention, and that, too, when the
physicians can scarcely stagger to their
work, so worn out are they from their
long and unrested labors. They are the
true knights-errant of our time. Col
Powell stands his ground nobly. His
friends beg him to leave, and, though
wealthy and without kinsman in the
place, he refuses to desert it. Goo
knows how soor we shall see the end
Three days ago the plague seemed al
most passed away for the twenty-foul
hours ending last night, July IA, there
were reported thirteen deaths in popu
lation now numbering more than 60(
souls. The chastisement is terrible
but unless the people have lost all in
.telligence it will not be repeated. The
altitude is high, and heretofore the al
invigorating and the water pure, bu
, there has been large class Of adven
turers and negroes out of work; thes
have never considered the welfare of tn
city, and the city was too young and to,
, poor to enforce rigid sanitary laws
Our awful scourge was not produced b,
any atmospheric condition orlocal caus
beyond the existence of choked-ul
streams and filthy open bitches, ant
S these can be kept clean and pure almos
without expense"