New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-25
BAD S.4yI7ARY CONDITION or TIE CITY
LETTER PROM DR. CTIS-PEEvALFScE cP DISEASE
DIR r. A NIT1ATED A1MpSFHEhE.
To fhe razor Of The Tribune.

LITTER PROM DR.. OTIS-FEEYAIFSCR cP DISEASE
pr-E IT. vIuATED A1MoSrHElE.
To the razor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In this mornings THIEJNE in the nc
count ~ AT Interview with Dr. Day. the Sanitary SUPER
intend, mt ~ York. he is reported ~ saying that
the THREE cholera cases said to have under the
notice of Dr. OTIS Of Thirty fourth st.. were simply
sevrre cascs of darrhna" These had been prev
ousiy dcsgratod 10y me sporadic cholera They
were all characterized by painless color'es or wfsh
odorl.ss, profusc, and frequent FassarcA from the
bwels; resisting the usual stnulart astringrnt and
narcotic remedies for diarthTa aud yielding only T."
powerful Alternative measures. IL all thcse respects the
coscs t.scuhcd true cholera simple diarrhIa. had
heard Of large number Of similar rses IN the practice
Of other mcnb' r. OF my piof'-rior' some OF much
gravity AID all witLout any recognized special cause
In alteration at this fact and the Pr"sent uclcany
condition Of the city. these casrs believe might hc
reasonably held dnc, in part,ef not wholly TO viii
aicl atmosphere caused by such condition.
In rxponse 60 an invitation from Professor Dalton To
accompany him TO Albany one OF The committee
charged with the presentation Of tie PhyHcianS
M mortal the state Legislature urging immediate ac-
ton IN regard To- sirectcl"aiing measured called at
trntan 10 tho fcr1n Il dis above mentioned
evid nee Of the bal sanitary condition Of the city, aud
uTd the Professor impress upon tic authorities mt
Albany the impending daLgcr Of epidemic disease IN
this city n indicated by the prevalence OF an unusual
form ~ intestinal trouble In some Important respects
resembling cholera. This I'm ny private lc'U'r Z" ITO
fcssor Dalton charuct rzcd sporadic, or nouinfcc
tios cholera and ia NJ Way stated intiruatcd that
considered IL true cholera dd succeE that 1t might
b precursor Of that disease. claimed only that there
were evidences OF the dependence 81 THE peculiar pre-
yailirg intestinal trouble the bad SANITARY condition
OF the city.
Dr. Dalton made nse OF my statements (as expected
he would III imprcssng our Legislators thu necessity
Of Immediate action in strccccaninc business and
he subsequently received NY fall permission to my
lame in connection with the matter II be cOnid RED II
in the Of the public 10 do 80 In this way NY
name became connected with the erroneous report that
true cholera had been claimed 10 have occurr In TINS
city Dr. Day might very justly have denied the exist
cnce " cholcrn In the city, and probably did 50 To your
reporter but the reporter is in in stating. on the
authority Of Dr. Day that the reported by Dr. Otis
were simply cases OF diarrhea They were az
have stated above In letter which have Just received
Dr. Day ne siaes that lee did not Intend r. give the
impression that "Dr oti-s thr-e cares were simply
desire the false nprCssioU that Asatc
tr1ie infectious cholera had been olaed 10 have made
Its appearance I'm our city.
Alter having made further inquiry among prominent
rlrrnbrrs 81 the medical profession. now able 10
state nuthor atyey, that the ia, which has
stoned foregoing remarks has been for the past
sra weeks and II at the rresett umo prevalent 10 de-
gree sufficient the conclusion that II IN de
the present bud sanitary condition OF the
CITY further appears 10 me that the aforementioned
facts and may still he used with perfect prOpety
~ amost weghty argument In favor ~ immediate action
tx our Legislators relieve the City 81 NewIOrk from
che accnr,uatons Of 9th which have already produced
y11cL disease aud discomfort and which threaten In
much greater degree 10 infict damage In various i'm
iortant ways upon the health and pr'e?er1ty Of its
ccitizene Ft2SESDES ~ OTts.
No los West Thirty fourt, NetO To-k, April 81, 1851.