Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-17
FHR YEAR % DEATH
An important and Interesting Medical
Conference. r

- ..fl conference. faJ
Surgeon Mcclellan, u. 8. A., and Our
Phxsfefans Ex change viewsHIs Nash.
vile n Piague-sPof f-Hlsfory and
peculiar Development OF the Epi.
demie Of Is73-AlI the Facts TO be
laid Before Congress.
A meeting Of the medical profession of
Nashville was heldinthe rooms Of the Board
of Health last night, for the purpose OF
hearing individual expressions from the
MUSICIANS in regard. to the cholera epidemic
which preVailed here last year.
Shortly after o'clock DIR. j. IL. Plunket
called the meeting to order and introduced
Assistant Surgeon E. McClelland, OF the U.
s. A.. who spoke substantially as follows:
he said that he had been engaged for the
last seven or eight months in carrying out
the provisions Of joint resolution OF Con-
eress, directingFhe Secretary of War TO de-
TAIL a medical officer of the army to report
upon the epidemic of cholera, which pre-
vailed in portions Of the United States
in 1873. One of the most impor
tant demonstrations of that epidemic
occurred in Nashville. He had endeavored
to 20 over the ground, as far as the epidem-
ic affected the city of Nashville, carefully
and prudently, with the earnest desire to
obtain only the facts which we're presented
bv this demonstration. He did not pro-
nose to work in theories, of course; like
any one else, he had his idea and theory in
relation to cholera, but, in doing this work,
he proposed to present, in his report to
Congress, simply the facts presented by the
epidemic.
In studying up this epidemic of 1878, it
was intended to take the disease from its
entrance into the country, and trace it
along on one line to the point where it
died out. They had the disease passing
up the Mississippi River, arriving at Vicks-
burg, pressing on to Memphis, an explosion
of the disease occurring along the line OF the
Memphis and Paducah Railroad, and from
this point carried in every direction, North,
South, East and West; back down the
Mississippi river to New Orleans, along
the river to the upper waters OF the MIS-
sisSippi, across the country TO the Lakes,
as far east as Pi.tsburg, and as Tar west as
the confines of Missouri.
He had found four distinct demonstra-
lions of the disease which occurred in COM
munities that had no connection with the
epidemic that travelled up the Mississippi
River. In a vast majority of cases OF
cholera, the initial case could be traced TO
some other point. A man might be in
fected with cholera at New Orleans and
reach Chicago before the disease was dis
covered. A man might be infected with
cholera at Liverpool or Hamburg, and If
the period of incubation was stretched
for twenty-one days, where might not that
man go before the disease occurred?
He would also ask them to consider for
few moments the injury of the railroad
coaches that pass over the different
railroads in the country. The trains
were generally made up with smoking
car in front, covered with tobacco juice
from one end to the other, then another one
| formenwho are travelling alone, and then an
ether for ladies, and then the sleeping
coach followed. The point of objection TO
these coaches was precisely the same. In
any of them they would find little closet
at the end called a "saloon," for the use OF
the passengers, and over the top OF the
urinal rested an old tin tank filled with
water. He would defy any person to go
into one of those closets on warm day
without being staggered by the scent. This
was point well worthy the consideration
of the profession, for it might lead to the
adjustment of such nuisances.
In conclusion, he asks them to favor him
with such individual facts connected with
the epidemic of 1873 as they might have in
their possession.
DIR. BUST said that he was absent during
the cholera, but, while he was up, be
would like to ask one or two questions OF
| DIR. Mcclellan, relative to the cholera What
he desired was TO find some of those
conditions that rendered the growth and pro
pOsation of cholera more prominent and
successful at one point than another. In
the passage of the disease, why was il that
some places along Its route should be I'M
touched and others scOurged
DR.. McClelland said that the question
would open very wide Geld for argument;
that to do Justice to the subject would take
ND too much time, and would thereby frus-
trate the collection of facts, which was the
main object Of his visit.
DIR. Henry said that on the twelfth
of May about seventy-five sick con-
victs were sent from the Memphis and
| Paducah railroad, some of them having the
diar-hua, and some with fever and vOmit-
ing. On the next day one of them died
with the symptoms Of cholera, and on the
| S.h of June it was decided that an cpl
demic of cholera existed in the prs n, and
vegetable diet was at once cut of. The first
case outside of the prison occurred on the
22d of May. That was the only case in
the city that he heard of for several days.
A great deal Of attention was paid to the
sanitary condition of the prison
The following named physicians then
made stat ments of the cases and symp-
| toms of their patients, when first seen, and
their condition, and the different causes OF
the diseases, during the epidemic Of last
year:
DIS. Menees, Morton, Compton, Winsett,
Council, Powell, Rainey, JnO. W. Mad
din, McMUTay, Hughes, Cook and Schitf.
The details of these individual expert
| ences occupied some time, being givenvery
infinitely. They were quite interesting to
| the members of the profession and will be
| incorporated in DR.. McClellan's official re-
port to Congress.
Surgeon Mcclellan arose and said as the
| question had been asked him for his explana-
ton, of the reason why Nashville has al
WAYS been desolated with cholera when it
has been prevalent in the country, he would
say that the thing was perfectly open TO his
mind. (He requested the reporters OF The
press present not to report his remarks, but
| the UNION AND AMERICAN reporter,
thinking that what gentleman, holding
the position of Surgeon Mcclellan in the
United States army says, would be read with
interest by the citizens of Nashville, con-
| Guided to take short hand notes Of his re-
marks, with the view of obtaining his con-
sent to publish them, and when the Doctor
had concluded, the physicians present
unanimously requested that his views be
given to the publicly
He said that the same causes existed IN
| Nashville now that existed during the ln-
tensity of the epidimic in 1888. Forty
wears had passed, yet the same causes ne
NAMED that should have been wiped away
and obliterated from tine earth. They had
a beautiful city; he did not know where
they could find more healthy city, built
over great rock with drain fur
| nished by nature on either side
their Lick branch flowing down fol
a mile and a half; their Wilson
Spring branch and other streams emptyine
| down into the river. Nature did every
thing 10 give them well drained city.
Had only fifty or sixty families come here
and settled, and the population had not
been increased, these branches would have
been sufficient to have drained the city, but
as it was now, they had constant accumu-
latiop of filth swept down these branches
by every rain that occurred. Along the
4 ~ VIC CT0rlW nrrc