The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-07-07
gP DEMOS.

10 we'd by cold, backwari, rainy sPrl"H'
Uo TO some Ave weeks ago, to the very
opening of summer, we had continuous rains
with cool days and cold nights Vegetation
WAS rank and all the earth and dead vegeta-
BILE mater on its surface became saturated
with water. Then came the dry
and hot blistering weather we have
experienced during the past five or
six weeks, causing rapid decay OF
this vegetable matter, breeding malaria and
contagion with which the whole atmosphere
has become impregnated. As consequence
we have malarial and thermic fevers in aoun'
d ,nce everywhere, but fortunately no where,
so far, of very malignant type. AS promi-
nent physician remarked to us the other
day, "Whle there Is great deal OF sickness
It is in the form Of mild fevers, making the
afil cted sick enough to require the services
of physician, but of mild nature, easily
controlled and broken up" Already, how
ever, these fsvers tegin to assume severer
type and show tendency to congestion, In
fact congestion is the great
d-asa of our southern eli.
mate in the months of July and August.
So far, we have heard of no threatenings Of
that dreadful scourage of the south, yellow
fever, and our observation has been that if it
has not made its appearance in New Orleans,
.bile or Charleston, the cities where it
generally begins its relentless work, to some
extent, by July, that it is Lot apt TO become
epidemic, or at least epidemic to serious de
gree. This is the rule, 30 far as our expert,
ence goee, but sometimes it app ars as late
as September, and then spreading rapidly
in its most virulent form, it becomes fear
full epideuic. All over our country, from
its one extreme to the other, we
hear of an immense deal of sick
ness of every kind, and in tho great
cities, such types of disease as typluss fever
the typhoids, dyp,heria, scarlet fever ard
here and there sporadic cases of Asiatic
cholera. Only on Tuesday last, prominent
citizen and merchant Of Philadelphia died
of Aslatic cholera, and there was no cause
to which the disease could be traced further
than the general condition of the atmosphere
disease ladeued from the emenations of foul
cutters, filthy streets and decaying vegeta-
Bile and animal matter, conditions that alas
exist to a greater degree in our own city OF
Dallas than they should. DR.. Howard Tay>
lor, medical inspector for the health board oil
Philadelphia, says of this case of cholera:
Il have heard it was case of Asiatic cholera,
so called, but it has not been brought to
my knowledge officially, and there is
nothing can do ABOUT it. 1t is simply
called Asatic cholera very much as BrighrS
disc .se is called Brighrs, and only because
it is like the cholera that originally pre-
vailed in India. From there it has cir
cumnavigated the globe, and, as an epidemic
crossed the Atlantic ocean without any one
bringing it. 1t is in various places in the
air, and swoops down now and then when
the conditions are favorable. Sporadic
cases are constantly occurring in various
parts of the country. If this WAS cholera i
was sporadic case. was in charge of the
pest hospital in 1866 and saw 6 eat zeal OF
cholera. 1 remen.be how it broke out in o
nasty place where they kept pigs, and in 8
few days it spread through all that locality.
Decsying matter and other unceanliness
may produce the conditions out of which |
cases of cholera will be developed, but the
greatest cleanliness is rot proof sgsinst II
when 1t is once 10 the air lido not think sbere
Is anything in this caSe to be alarmed about"
We have alluded thus briefly to epidemics
and to these sporadic cases of cholera, simp>
Iy for the purpose Of calling the attention of
our city fathers 10 Toe matter. Every physl
,ian ia Dallas at all posted in his profession
will tell them that we are correct 10 our
premises that the Indictment winter,the cold,
rainy spring and the dry, hot weather of
June, and still upon US In these first days OF
July, are all conditions TO produce malaria
10 an unusual extent, the breeding place of
his malaria being in filth, in the fostering,
cesspools 10 be found in the by
ways of cur city, 10 back alleys and in the
CUTTERS, the fetid exhala'ions from which we
breathe BY day and by night poisoning
he blood and breeding contagion and die,
pase in our veins until they break forth in
burning fevers, 10 cholera m 'rbus, In dysen-
terry, and other dreadful complaints, attack
a : Ike citadel of life and weakening its fore
% If they be not entirely overcome. Our
,ity has diligent. energetic, Intelligent eff
&c en-. health offiser, but without the means
y mich only the city council can give him, be
: powerless 70 combat the evil BY Masking
ne city thoroughly clean. BE is doing eli
he CAP. Without q force of men and
carts TO rapidly clean up the city
md keep il clean, he can effect but little
towards removing the causes Of sickness TO
be 20 sbundsntly found within our
,ity limits. Our board Of aldermen are gen
.lemen Of intelligence, they are Gil interested
rom . pecuniAry standpoint in the welfare
md prosperity Of the city, and they are ell
bumspe, christian gentlemen, who can feel