The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-24
THE RAVAGES OF CHOLERA.
A DOCTORS REcoLLEcr1oN OF AN
EPIDEMIC.

His Experience with the Eread in Russia
Graphically Described--Preca utions the
People of America s iouid Take.
DR.. G. II. Van Klein, of Hamilton,
Ohio, is perhaps the only physician in
the United States who went through
the terrible cholera epidemic in Russia
In 1883. DR.. Won Klein was a sur
geon in the Russian army in the war
between Russia and Turkey, and was
the only American physician in the
Russian service proper. The unfor-
tunate DR.. Lamson was appointed by
the English Red Cross and was as
signed to the Armenian troops, where
he served with distinction, and was
afterward decorated by the Princess of
Armenia. DR.. Won Klein has very
vivid recollection of the dreadful
scenes. When he was mustered out
of the service at the close of the war
the cholera was raging at Astrakhan
and other smaller towns on the line of
Siberia. People were dying by the
hundreds, and semi-panic had taken
possession of the inhabitants. They
were fleeing from town to town and
finding relief nowhere. Astrakhan is
city of about 10000 inhabitants, and
adjacent to it were dozen villages of
from 5000 to 5000 each. In all of
these cholera had been prevailing for
some months.
DR.. Won Klein was one of staff of
army physicians who were requested
by the government to go into the in
fected region and break up the
epidemic, if possible. When they ar
rived at Astrakhan the mortality was
great and all kinds of business was
practically suspended. The local ply
sicians were all dead or powerless to
help the people. Burials were made
in the nighttime and the dead were
hurried out of sight, sometimes three
or four in one grave. Every measure
was taken to stop the spread of the
disease, but tono purpose, The towns
were put in as good sanitary order as
the means at hand would admit. Tar,
sulphur and juniper trees were burned
in the streets, the burning of the
juniper giving the most satisfactory
results. The disease had taken such
complete hold of the towns that moth
ing could be done, and, after a consul
tation with the government, it was de-
cided to burn the infected villages that
were past hope. Astrakhan was
spared, but five other towns of conse-
quence were obliterated by fire. The
inhabitants were removed to the
country, the afflicted taken to hospitals
and then the torch was applied. The
towns were fired at several places, and
one by one were speedily blotted out.
In this way the scourge was checked
after eight months. 1t was heroic
treatment, but DR.. Won Klein thought
it was the only thing to do, seeing that
the whole country was threatened.
Eight thousand persons died during
this epidemic in a very small area.
In the event of the disease reaching
our shores the doctor recommends that
every family should take great precau-
ton against it, and it would be better
if this were done right away. Cellars
should be kept clean and dry, and yards
and alleys put in the best condit on
possible. Tar should be burned about
the house and inside of it. The wood
of the juniper tree, or juniper berries
he regarded as even better than tar
for this purpose. Either or all of these
could be burned in the house. AS tc
food, oatmeal, cracked wheat and
sweet milk are good. Eat sparingly
of meats. Fowl and game are less
hurtful than beef. Vegetables increase
the temperature of the body, ant
should be avoided as a rule.-Cincin
natl Enquirer.