The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-07-25
THE PREVAILING DISEASE.
What DR.. John C. Peters, Inspector Of
the New York Health Board, Says
About the Cholera in Cincinnati and
Elsewhere,

On June 2Sth the New York
board of health sent DIR. John C..
Peters on an official tour of in
spection to southwestern cities, as
he might select, to examine the
disease called cholera in those
cities. He has been here several
days, and he carefully examined
the ground. Last evening an En-.
quirer reporter called on DR.. Pc
tiers and found him packing to
leave the city, but with time on
his hands for a pleasant talk To
questions on the subject he an-
swered freely, about as follows:
R-You have examined this
phenomenon pretty thoroughly.
Do you think we have Asiatic
cholera in this city?
Dr.. Pit is true Asiatic ehol-
era without a doubt; you can't get
around that.
R-Have you personally exam
iaed many cases?
DIR. P.-Many of them. The
Rittenhouse street group are the
most decided cases I have met;
Nos. 20 and 70 Rittenhouse street.
Here the doctor displayed q
map of the city showing where
every case, from the first to the
last, had occurred-the cases mum
bered in the order Of their occur.
ence. Only one mark was west OF
Millcreek, and that in Paramount
None were on the hills or above
the Little Miami depot. All the
lower level of the city, in the
ampItheatre OF hills, was peppered
over with marks ut fatal cases, or
groups of cases. These were
pretty evenly distributed all over
this portion of the city. Here
said he, care foci from which
feared it would spread greatly
1t has come upon you as sort o
house epidemic, and with the feal
it would spread from these foci,
remained longer than / shoult
have done otherwise to witness it,
spread"
Reporter-Have you theory
as to how it came here?
Doctor-I think it must have
come from New CLEANS. When ]
see case of smallpox l never asl
how the man came to have it
When / see Asiatic cholera, will
its cold tonge and cold breath ant
other unmistakable SYMPTOMS, dc
not call it some other name until
can trace it back from the patieni
to the Delta of the Ganges. YoI
don't see those blue, shriYeleC
cases that get down and die II
three or four hours when the di
sease is cholera morbus.
Reporter-What do you thinl
of our prospect now for escape?
Doetor-Well, since your city
has been peppered over with tn 81
foci, from which / anticipated /:
spread before this time, and sine
you have escaped this diffusion
the prospect looks fairer. You dt
not seem to be in danger from
contaminated water, aud you
streets are reasonably clean, ant
they are wide so as to yentilat'
your city well. You may undo
present circumstances be able t,
stamp it out.
Reporter-Stamp it out? ID
you mean to say that virus doe
not float in the air.
| Doctor believe that persona
contact of the virus In the stom
ach is necessary to communicate
the disease.
Reporter-Howc can that happen
/ Doctor-In various ways
| Clothes imbued with the virus ma,
be handled by persons who after
ward handle food or glasses, an
In this way portions of the vim
may enter the stomach. The rio
water is often as clear as sprin
:. water. The bed and the clothin
4 of the patient are often saturate
with it, 1t may get on ones han
!. ] without being observed. ToucL
ing the lips with the hand Nigh
prepare for its introduction int
the system. Wiping the hand
on towel might make way &c
communicating il to others,
. have attended my patients, and
always guarded these points.
81 Reporter-What preeautio
! would you take to keep it frol
: spreading through an indiyidui
, case through attendantsY
Doctor-I would have his bod
clothes disinfected before he leave
{ the room. a solution OF wat.
: and chloride Of zinc poured ov,
E them in q vessel viii serve as
/ disinfectant. ] would not Let
s bit of this clothing leave the roo
3 before such disinfection. Then