The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-05
The Cholera Communicative from
the State Board OF Health.
OFFICE OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
RIcuSoSn ,JIIly z 1879

the Stale Board OF Health.
OFFICE or THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,3
| RICHMOND, July 3, 1873.
| The undersigned, officers of the State
| Board Of Health. publish for general infor-
nation the subioined Memorandum on
Cholera" drawn up by the Executive Com
mittee of the American Public Health Asso-
citation. They feel that they can perform no
more useful service at the present juncture
! than TO invite the earnest attention of the
| people AID the local authorities throughout
| the State To this Succinct and practical eX-
| position of facts in relation to the scourge,
| whose appearance in our midst ct no distaut
| day We have now so much reasou to appre-
| hend, and of the sanitary measures which
science and experience enjoin for its preyen-
| ton or mitigation.
| 1t should be stated that the American Pub
| lie Health Association is Il body of recent
organization, composed of gentlemen of the
medical and other professions, representing
every section Of the Union, who have made
a special study of sanitary science, and many
| OF whom, by virtue of official position, have
| had large experience in the practical APP
| plication of its principles. Every document
relating to the public health issued by au-
| thority of a body thus constituted is entitled
! to the greatest respect and confidence.
AS the Legislature, in establishing State
Board of Health. withheld from it the means
! of communicating with local boards of
health. the authorities of cities and towns,
and the general public, by means of official
circulars, we are compelled to ask that all the
newspapers Of the State, both secular and re-
ligious. will publish this memorandum for
| the general good.
JAMES L. CABELL, NJ. D..
President of the State Board of Health.
L. 5. JONES, NJ. D.. Secretary.
MEMORANDUM ON CHOLERA
| iSpecic sanitary Information for PubliciUse.J
| ruy AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH AssocIA'
TON. bv it, Executive Committee, submits
| the following Memorandum respecting the
most available meaus for arresting and pre-
venting the fatal prevalence of malignant
| cholcr, in this country.
The presence of this disease at several
places in the Mississippi Valley is acknowl-
rd.ed. It's progress from New Orleans to
| Memphis and Nashville seems to have been
| rapd, and is isiguitican1 of its onward ten
dency. That it is being prOpagatcd. us i'll
former vi>itatonS, bv local causes and the ne
| glcct of sanitary duties, is Is true now as in
the former visitation>.
| TO combat and arrest the progress, and
prevent the epidemic prevalence OF this
| Scour.c OF sanitary negligence, it Is necessary
| that the inhabitants of every city and town
| should promptly resort to the most etfectllal
rr-RIFIcArIoN and the best known means OF
| plslxFEcTloN. and that this sanitary cleansing
and preparation should be ut once aud very
| thoroughly carried into efect-betore any
| cases OF chOlerd 0Ccar-anu that IN the
presence OF the disease these sanitary duties
should be enforced in every household ano
throughout the entire district. Experience
hl, proved that the best way to prevent both
pe>lilence aud pauic is to know and prepare
for the danger. 1t is the ouy way to deal
successfully with cholera.
| SANITARY CLEANSING.
| The local conditions that chiefly promote
the outbreaks and propagation OF cholera
| are
Neglected privies;
Filth-sodden grounds;
| Foul cellars and filthy or bauly-dralncd
surroundings of dwellings;
Foul and obSlructed housc-drainS
Deciying and putrescent materials, Whe-
thcr animal or vegetable:
Unventilated, damp, and uncleansed dwell
ings and apartments.
These localiZin| carlScScf cholera should
| he promptly and very thoroughly removed
before case OF the disease appears in the
town or district; and if any sources of pu-
tre>cence or of excessive moisture remain,
these should be controlled by the proper
cleansing, driving, and diSintection.
Thorough scavenging and surface drain
age, with the application at the same time of
quick-iime and coal-tar or crude carbClc
acid whitewashing with fresh quick lime;
the cleansing and thorough drying and ven
ilalion of cellars, easements, chambers, and
closets; and daily care to cleanse, flush, ven
tiIatc. and purify the sources OF detllement
about all inhabited premises, will afford al
most complete protection if suitable care Is
taken OF
PERSONAL HEALTH.
| The security Of personal health requires
pure d47nkin9- -rGter, fresh and Su0Stdnttdl
| food. temperance. and the needed rest ana
hathUag Of the tody.
| plsINFECTION AND DISIHFECTANTS.
The principles relating to disinfection as
means of destroying the propagating or M
fictitious cause of cholera. and arreStlng ptl-
treiactlon are readily understood, and may
he 50 explained TO any family that the house
hold NAV insure its own immunity against
the introduction and spread of the disease.
For popular use we append brief statement
Of these principles at the end of this clrcu.
lar; and we respectfully recommend that the
statement, and tue following schedule of
rules and methods, be given to the press, and
to all principals of schools, superintendent
of places Of public resort, railroad depotS,
ferries, hotels, and public institutions, and
TO the masters of ships and steamboats,, ana
the conductors of passenger trains through
out this continent; believing, as we 40, tEat
by the timely and continued application OF
these measures the prevalence of cholera
may be prevented. But let the fact be re-
meInDered that there can be no substitutes
tor thorough cleansing and fresh air.
RULES AND METHODS OF DIsIsFECTIoS.
For Prices, Water Closets, Drains, and
| SetcerS Eight or ten pounds of sulphate of
iron fcopperas) dissolved in five or six gal
Ions of water, with half u pint OF crude car
bolic acid added to the solution and bliskly
! stirred, makes the cheapest and best dlsln-
fectng fluid for common use. III can De pro-
cured in every town and by any family, ana
if the carbolic acid is not at haud the soiu-
tion of copperas may be used without 1t.
10 Precent Priries Gnd Water Closets
from Eecomtng injected or QfcnSirc : Pour
q pint Of this sllong solution intor every
wuter-closet pan or privy-seat once or twice
day. ,
70 Di1nfect Masses Of FNh, Prtpy-
| Vaults, .Setrers, and Drains Gradually
polr in this solution until it reaches and
disintrcts all tue foul material
| For The chdntber-Uesseis used ty the Ssch,
and for the disinfectiOn Of gound upon
which any excrementai matter has been cast
aYuy.N,se the solution Of c0pperas and car
boc acid; and for disnlecting ertensire