New-York tribune., 1884-12-16
CHOLERA UNDER DISCUSSION.
OPINIONS Or LEADING PHYSICIANS.

DRs. JANEWAY, DETMOLD, PLIST, PURPLE AND
DWYER BEFORE THE MEDICAL SOCIETY.
Tho County Medical Society discussed
Cholera last night al the College of Physicians and
Surgeons DR. Janeway said: 81 believe cholera to be
an infectious and contagious disease, coming originally
from India. l also believe that It is duo to the
bacillus described and discovered 10y Dr. Koch, and from
tho indications which have, that the disease is
likely to prevail in EcwYork Tho matter could not be
better considered than under the sixteen questions sub
mtted to tic Cholera Commission at Berlin Ill July
These questions involve all the essential points IN the
spread Of the disease through human intercourse and
In reference to the characteristics OF the bacillus.
The main question to be considered here are, How does
the disease spread Whether by human intercourse,
by merchandise, by portability Of the germ,
and By what means 1t is llkely to be
taken into the systeml whether through the mouth
the other Of the digestive track, through the
respiratory systenl whether only the socreons and
the vomt probably. contain the infectious properties
aud the other secrctoDs not
"From what happened In 1906 1t Is probable that the
disease viii to Now York, but 1t Is not probable
that 1t win prove very fanl very extended 1t viii
bcwlse for the city to appropriate sufficient money, 80
that tho Board OF Health may have tho
means to have all the bad places In
the city thoroughly eleansed and provide reception
hospitals those taken suddenly with the dsease for
cholo Is disease that WIN not admit OF long convey
ance These things should be accomplished by the close
OF the winter or the carly spring The foul slips on our
shore front should be dredged out and the should
hc carried tho ends OF the piers that they Will be
flushed by the tides In Wow of the history OF tho dis
ease think that lts spreading be prevented In
1866 nearly onc.ha of all the deaths which numbered
II37. occurred on Blackwelr Wards and RandalIs
Islands, and OF these 3GO Blackwolls Island.
This with the statistics OF death and population IN tho
cholera years of -32 81, 10. 80, 81 and go, shows
that the probabilities that tho taken IN tho
city TO prevent the spread OF tue disease efficient
Dr. Jancway then considered thN question OF what
agents were best for disnfccton alludng to Kochs
permcnts He Advocated tho most careful attention to
cakes of diauhTa and cholera m0rbus, In years when
cholera expected. and urged upon physicians TO dis
charge their duties to the Board Of Jcalth promptly
Dr. Demold said d" Cholera has followed the high
ways Of commerce from troplc clmes to Russia
and America. In my opinion the question OF the bacillus
ia not yet decided am satisfied that II Is the
OF cholera. New discoveries have to be filtered through
" Ihave seen something OF the cholera" said DR.,
Austn Flint In 1872 was medical student @ mt, and
In $40 saw great deal Of II IN Buffalo. where was
then practicng irrespective OF the specific causes OF
the disease have hecn led t0 the belief that 1t Ia com
nunicabe Noticed that anterior to the appearance of
rIfc and where thov wcrc promptly treated the disease
did not appear This leads mo 10 the heller that chorta
may nr nyss ,y w many m scs,cs 's snv satsnce in INV
experience In which ptomontoIy .tnp.om. received
measure Is TO have house to housc visitation
nnco or twlcc day. aud have tho Inquiry made u
there any ra,o of Hlmpc darrhwa hrtp l''
pr H. X rurre pnld "1ho cholera OF iNlp whH
brought tn Quarantine on ncrNhcr3 ot i, iNlS 10y tho
ship Sow York During hcccmhar the oHHrH were
confined 10 Quarantine There weto RlNtt une |
caaoa and hlrty four deaths, In January |
frhrnnry and March, isip. there were occasional eAt1a
ON tho Islands In tho ,rt River hut mono ~ the city IN
M Friday MAY 20, when in iiarriott who was con |
ntcted with the Five Points blHpcnsaiy, reported Two
case. at No Orange st-noN HnAtcrat, These cases
occurred the ~ alley running back INT" an
omen court, which was surrounded ny pig sNes ana |
bore The name OF Hog Pen Alley Al that Time thelo
u, no sewerage in The Five Points region IL was not unt
the following Wednesday that the heallh authorities |
seized house In Anthony-Ht, Into which all tho cases
were In the first twenty t~Oday thereafter tro
were nfty cae cholera, and then the cases rapidly
ran mn until over 5000 died OF cholera and over 5000
nf howell complaints The history OF the origin or the
endemic Is40 shows the necessity or cleaning out all
obiect onable places Ia the city" 90
Dr who said that he had treated over 3OO |
co es I'm ~66 which 100 100 had died SAID tha ne
ad made post mortem examinations or twenty nVe ana
notced that the gall bladder was Il OF Dle
lie ALSO said the epidemic on Wards Island III tnat
Vear was traced a named Mccoy, VINO came 10
The island from Quarantine, and that the first case de-
ycnped and the patient died within twelve hours atter
the uurse's arrival. He also noticed that more |
~ the patients who treated In detached build
inrs got well than Of those treated In the hospitals
DR. JancUay IN reply to Dr. Dwycr said that the Inl,
nes OF the gall bladder might nc due 10 the Withdrawal
OF the fluids the digestive systen lie niso sara
that poisoning by arsenic produced symptoms similar 10
those OF cholera