Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-21
SOME VERY STR oNG TESTIMONY FEB
CLEANLINESS,

The eminent English physician and mi
croscopist, William B Carpenter, whose ex.
perience extends back to the cholera sea-
son of 1881, and whose place in medical
ranks is foremost, takes issue with Profes-
cor Tyndall, that the human intestine is
the only breeding place for the cholera
germ. In recent letter to the London
Daily Netos, he sets forth his own belief,
that that is not their only place Of birth,
nor is water the only means of transmits
sion of the germ. In support of this faith,
he cites three especially strong cases,
showing that cholera germs breed outside
the human body in collections of decom-
posing organic matter, and are transmitted
thence through the atmosphere. At
Alnwick, in Northumberland, every one
in certain row Of cottages was smitten
with cholera or its premonitory symptoms
in single night. Behind the cottage gar
dens was row of filthy piggeries. The
moment the wind blew from the cottages to
as it blew to the cottages from the filth, it
set in again. The poorfarm of Baltimore
was situated where 1t was believed to be
especially healthful and pure in all the
surroundings. With the cholera raging in
New York and Washington, only a few
cases appeared in Baltimore. Suddenly it
broke out in the poor-houses, and the
deaths ran up to 30 per day out of popu-
lation of 500. There was no over.
crowding, every supposed sanitary measure
had been adopted, perfect cleanliness pre-
vailed, the food was excellent, and the
drainage believed to be perfect. But as
the disease grew worse, examination was
had, and it was found that the drainage all
led off into marsh some distance away
from the houses, and bslow G deep rayiae
coursed by stream of water that carried
the drainage. The prevailing wind was
from that direction, and the cholera was
the worst when it blew longest and strong.
est from the marsh to the houses, and the
first cases always occurred in the back part
of the houses, where the wind first met
them. The marsh was at once operated
upon, the drainage corrected, and instantly
the cholera ceased. The doctor says that,
lecturing some years after at Sion College
before body of clergymen, he made bold
to ask them, after reciting the facts in this
case, if they believed that had all Bslti.
more gone down on its knees in prayer and
enitence, without taking measures to cor.
rect that marsh according to the laws of
Divine government and under knowledge
of the penalty for their infraction, the good
results secured would have been brought
about! Ia other words. what the good
doctor asked was, " Do you believe that
God would have corrected that marsh for
you while you sat idly. by?" His third
illustration is more striking than the pre-.
ceding swo, and fully establishes the fact
that cholera germs will propagate in low
foul places, and be waited on the wings of
the wind to the nearest human habitations,
just as we know are other germs of other
filth diseases; hence the absolute necessity
for thorough cleansing of all filth reposi.
tories. In town in Mexico of 20, 600 in.
habitants the cholera appeared. The ply.
sicians noticed ths. though the place was
on high terrace on mountain siGe. with
the purest air, the cases of cholera were
first along particular line, and the disease
subsided as that line w-s departed from aad
grew in virulence as another line was I'd.
preached, this latter being at an angle
with the first. This second outbreak WAS
always preceded by wind blowing from |
the direction of the first line, il extended
to some distance on its angle. This led to
TIE conclusion that there was at focal
point OF the two lines cause fos the dis.