The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-04
THE KENTUCKY SC0URGE.
Four Hundred Deaths in Three of the COun-
ties Where the Affection Is Lightest.

Lb-IsvILLE Dec. 3.-The Courier-Journal staff
correspondent investigating the plague in east
ern Kentucky, sends the following from Mt.
Pleasant to night:
1.-The further travel into this plague infected
country the more horrible becomes the situation
and the more l wonder that the eutire pop
ulation, or at least that portion of it who have
been attacked by the prevailing epidemic have
not been swept into the world beyond lam able
to write clearly only after conversations with
men from all parts Of the county, who are here
to-day from distances ,anging all the way from
five to forty miles, to secure supplies and have
grinding done. The water mills in this county,
as in most of the mountain counties,
are useless because of scarcity of water
and the steam mill here is patronlzed by
families living far and near. From all sources
of information l am able to make an estimate
which may be relied upon as being as nearly
correct as any that could be made without
personal visit to every house in the county
There have been in Harlan county,
since the latter part of Augurst over
200 deaths; Of these, at least 100
have died from flux or cholera infantum, super
induced by use of impure water. There have
been about 200 cases of sickness known to be
fux, and a large amount of illness from other
causes, especially among children, such as
whooping cough, bronchitis, summec complaint,
ETC.; in many cases complication Of these
diseases existing
THE spring and summer, up to the latter part
of August last, unusually healthy; then
sickness began, and since then 80 per cent of
the deaths have occurred. l met and talked
with DR., Blair, of this place, this morning He
is of opinion that the recent rains and frosts
have had tendency to abate the epidem-
ic, the virulence of which, he thinks,
is governed by the temperature. If
the weather becomes about uniform
night and day, the disease abates. Ipecac has
been until recently the principal ingredient of
the prescriptions given by him, but cholera
cure, consisting of drachms of cinchona, 2
drachms of nitric acid, draehms of sweet
salts the whole diluted with a
quart of distilled water, has been used with
more success than anything yet tried. This is
given in doses ranging il size from half wine
glass to a tablespoonful.
LAS to the disease being contagious, 1 find
great diversity of opinion, but have arrived at
the conclusion that it is so only when the dis
charges from the bowles and urinary
organs are allowed to stand and
fiji the room with baleful exhalatons
and when people are careless about cleanliness.
In this conclusion every physician with whom
have talked supports me, and it is doubtless
rect
II have now been at the county seats of three
counties in which the infection has a foothold-
Knox, Bell and Harlan-and in these, which are
but on the outskirts Of the districts in which it
has been most fatal. / sum up a total of over 400
deaths since the latter part of August from flux
alone, and fully the same number from other
ills, mostly resulting from the use of impure or
mineral poisoned water. If include the deaths
reported to me by Rev. Mr.. Chiders in Bath
Menifee, Wolf, etc. it would, no doubt, run
the list up to 1000 In day or
two more will be in Letcher county, Ky, and
Wise county Va; and after my trip through
innate the number of victims in the entire ter
ritory which the scourge covers, From reports
from Letcher, received here it is evident that
the cases of sickness have run up into 300 or 400