The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-09-26
The Threatened Plague.


Much unnecessary alarm has been
excited in this country by the threat
ened approach of cholera. When the
plague was raging in Great Britain in
1854 a religious body then in session
appealed to Lord Palmerston, the Home
Secretary, to appoint national day of
fasting and prayer. He replied:
s.When man has done the utmost he can
for his own safety then will be the time
for him to invoke the blessing of
Heaven to give effect to his exertiOns."
These words should be the countersign
in every battle against threatened pes
thence. God has given to man the
means to prevent and control these
diseases, and the intellect to discover
the means; and If we wilfully refuse or
neglect to use our brains to find out
such preventive measures, no amount OF
prayer, fasting or humiliation will
avert the danger. .-
Cholera-or Mordechie, dog death,
as the Arabs call it-originated in the
low rice plantations of Central Asia, as
typhus fever did among the bogs OF
ireland. and from the same causes;
overcrowding in huts, a warm, damp
air, and the excessive filthiness of the
people. From Asia, in 1929, it first en-
tered Europe with triumphant ferocity.
One million victims fell In Germany
alone. No cure was known, and but
little resistance offered. In 1881 il
reached England. and the next year ap.
peared in the United States. Old peo-
pie can remember the panic of terror
which swept over the country, the fires
of bituminous coal which were kindled
like rampant around every undrained,
ill-smelling town, the fumigations in
every close, unclean house, the death.
carts rumbling through the streets, the
| terrible monotonous cry: "Bring oui
your deadr' In 1889 it returned tc
England and to this country. and agair
in 1854 and 1866. With each time the
epidemic relaxed in severity, and be
came more amenable to scientific treat
ment. The cause of this is obvious
The disease, which originates in, anC
feeds upon impurity, was met at eacf
return by an advance in civilization
The people whom it attacked were bet
ter fed, more temperate, more cleanly
and began to have some knowledge o
drainage and the rules of health.
We have every reason to take comfor
from these facts. There can be n,
doubt that the poison of cholera is viru
lent and highly contagious. But tn
disease, when it attacks a temperate
person of cleanly habits, is ordinaril,
brought under control of medicine.
very rarely does attack such person
In anticipation of its threatened ap
proach, it is hardly worth while for an
reader to study its symptoms, or to con
cern himself with any of the thousan,
cures offered in the papers. But lie
him go zealously to work noD, to sc
that his house is thoroughly drained
ventilated and cleaned, and that tn
drinking-water is pure. Let him us
all his Influence to induce every ind
vid ual of the house to battle regularly
to eat moderately such food as agree
with him, to keep cheerful temper
and to put his trust in the Lord.
II the cholera comes, that house wi
almost certainly escape; and if il doe
not come, the family will enjoy the rar
rewards which belong to sound minds /
sound bodies.-YoNtRs Companion.