Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-07-10
THE CHOLERA.
Causes of the Disease, and Preventives
Extract from u Circular of the American Health
Association.l

Causes of the Disease, and Preventives.
EXTRACT from Circular of the American Health
Assoctation.l
The local conditions that chiefly pro-
mote the outbreaks and PROPAGATION of
cholera are
1. Neglected privies.
2. Filth-sodden grounds.
3. Foul cellars and filthy or badly
drained surroundings of dwellings,.
4. Foul and obstructed house-drains.
5. Decaying and putrescent materi-
ais, whether animal or vegetable.
6. Unventilated, damp, and uncleans-
ed dwellings and apartments.
These localizing causes of cholera
should be promptly and very thorough
ly removed before a case of the disease
appears in the town or district and if
any sources of putrescence or of exces-
sive moisture remain, even these should
be controlled by the proper cleansing
and disinfection.
Thorough scavenging and surface
drainage, with the application at the
same time of quicklme and coal tar or
crude carbolic acid whitewashing with
fresh quicklime the cleansing and
thorough drying and ventilation of Gel
lars, easements, chambers, and closets,
and daily care to cleanse, flush, venti-
late and purify the sources of defle-
ment about all inhabited premises, will
afford almost complete protection if
suitable care is taken of personal health.
The security of personal health re-
quires pure drinking water, fresh and
substantial food, temperance, and the
needed rest and bathing of the body.
The principles relating to disinfection
as means of destroying the propagat-
ing or infectious cause of cholera-the
cholera contagium are readily un-
derstood, and may be SO explained to
any family that the household may in
sure its own immunity against the intro
duction and spread of the disease.
For privies, water-closets, drains and
sewers-Eight or ten pounds of snlphate
of iron (copperas) dissolved in five or
six gallons of water, with half pint of
ciude carbolic acid added to the solu-
tion, and briskly stirred, makes the
cheapest and best disinfecting fluid for
common use. 1t can be procured in
every town and by any family, and if
the carbolc acid is not at hand, the So
luton of copperas may be used without
it.
To prevent privies and water-closets
from becoming infected or offensive
Pour pint of this strong solution into
every water -closet-pan or private-seat
once or twice day.
To disinfect masses of filth, privy-
vaults, sewers, and Enthusiastically
pour in this solution until it reaches and
disinfects all the foul material.
For the chamber-vessels used by the
sick, and for the disinfection of ground
upon which any excremental matter has
been cast away, for disinfecting extern
sive masses or surfaces of putrescent
materials, and for drains, sewers, and
bitches, the ''dead oil' of coal-tar, or
coal-tar itself is available coal-tar may
be used as disinfecting paint upon the
walls of cellars, stables, and open drains.
Quicklime is useful as an absorbent
and dryer upon such walls and in damp
places, and white-washing with it should
be practiced in common tenements,
factories, Easements, closets, and garrets.
To disinfect the clothing defiled in
any manner by excremental matters from
the sick, throw all such articles imme-
diately into boiling water, and continue
the boiling for half an hour or place
them in a solution, covered, made as
follows One pound of sulphate of zinc,
six or eight gallons of water, to which
add two or three ounces of strong car
bolic acid.
Keep the soiled articles saturated
until they can be boiled. If the acid is
not at hand use the zinc water alone.
Apartments, bedding, and upholstery
that have been used by the sick with
cholera or diarrhea should be fumigated
by the burning of several pounds of
birthstone (sulphur) upon a defended
iron pan, with the place tightly closed
for several hours, under a physicians
directions.