Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-06-12
CORRESPONDENCE.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, June 4, 1873.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, June 4, 1873.
DEAR CHRONICLE:
Since my last letter, the Appeal, the
leading Memphis daily in an article
upon Cholera stated aThere are locali-
ties in Memphis more foul and more
certainly inviting disease than any 9TH
er city on the continent. In every part
of the city can be found rotten disease
producing slime. We have cesspools
surrounded with filthy hungry reck-
less poor" etc. This is no overdrawn
picture; it lacks rather than exceeds
4 visit to any alley, or any street,
whether in business portion of the city
or its suburbs, will furnish any obser-
yer with ocular and nasal evidence
that the Appeal states facts and that
the Authorities are more supine, neg
ligent, derelict and culpable than those
of any other city. The Appeal, togeth-
er with the balance of our press, deny
the existence of Cholera even IN spo-
radio form, and but for an occasional al
lusion to reports in circulation else
where, the reader would suppose an
ordinary degree of health here. No
statistics of death or health are publish
ed, nor has any medical man or city
official made any public report relative
to the so-called Cholera, thus leaving
the citizen who desires to arrive at cor
rect conclusions no resource but to make
private inquiry. On Sunday last
prominent physician, left me to infer
his reticence was dine 10 the fact that
the papers would attack the medical
profession if public avOwal was made
of facts and yet he stated Monday NOR
ming orally, that eight deaths from
the so-called cholera had occurred in
the Immediate vicinity OF his dwelling
house. On Tuesday another reliable
physician informed me that great ma
ny deaths had occurred.
This latter gentleman does not hesi-
tate to say it is genuine Asiatic Cholera
in sporadic form and that the indica-
tions are the same precisely as in the
cholera of past years. Cramps, vomit-
ings, diarrhea accompanied with rice
water discharges, collapse and death in
from one hour to twelve mark the at
tacks Just as in cholera in former years,
and for one, can only share in the
popular belief, Notwithstanding the
protestations to the contrary by the
press, that our city is afflicted with
cholera in worst form short of sweep
ing epidemic. No matter if doctors do
disagree as to name, yet the actual and
alarmingly increasing death rate, as is
indicated by verbal report of physician
and undertaken, shows conclusively,
that we have that, which is as surely
and suddenly fatal as cholera, among
us.
The markets We're flooded with stale
vegetables at the time the disease first
appeared, large portions of the people
drink waters of percolation in either
wells, or imperfect cisterns, instead of
pure cistern water which will never in
itself produce choleric disease, and
these in connection with an UNANIMOUSLY
neglected sanitary condition of the city
in every part induced the appearance
of the so-called cholera. But now it
does seem that others, than those who
from poverty or selfishness lived on i'm
pure food and water are attacked, and
that only those who are radically tenn
perate and abstemious escape. The
tenement houses, the side-street with
its reeking filth, the dwelling house
using percolation water, the whisky
drinker, the ignorer of hygienic laws
generally, the user of impure, stale,
and unripe vegetables as we'll as inn
properly cooked food, have in the main
furnished the victims for the scourge.
But the serious questions presents itself
to all thoughtful people. Will the dis
ease confine itself to such classes or will
it force itself upon the whole communi-
ty and acquire thereby that intensity
which will make it spread over the
land? am no alarmist, but you may
rest assured, there is here disease
Identical in it's exhibitions with chOl-
era, which many of the ablest and lon.
gest experienced physicians of the city,
pronounce cholera, and as deadly as
cholera ever was here. Ithas swept off
very many, few escaping that are at
tackled with the virulent type, and un-
less some change for the better soon
occurs, epidemic cholera must surely
follow so much death. 1 never reali-
zed the necessity of pure water so much
as here and the advantage of cisterns
over wells. 1 do no. believe a person
who eschews whiskey and stale vege-
tables, and uses only properly cooked
food, and cistern water in which there