Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-01
THE CHOLERA IN AMERICA.

I I'M CIlOlgIllll Nv u NJ hIAlOals
SOME INTERESTING HIsroR1oAL FACTS GIVEN TO
NEW YORK HERALD REPORTER ny DIR. Pc
TIERS OF NEW YORK. SPECIALIST IN THE
DISEASE.
Cholera has always boon brought to Ameri-
ca by ships. In 1832 tho brig Carrick, bring
ing emigrants from ireland, arrived at Que
bee. The cholera had killed AZ passengers
duriug the voyage and broke out at Quebec
on June G. On juno 10 it reached Montreal
and soon aftor Detroit During the snme
month tho ship Henry ~. arrived at Now
York from Hayro with cholera patients, and
tho disease appeared in the city on the 9th.
Soon aftor it was carried to Canada, Philadel-
phia and tho West
In 1913 two vossels sailed from Havre-
one, tho Now York for New York, the other
tie Swanton for New Orleans. Both vessels
were full Of German emigrants, IA OF whom
died on the Now York and l3 on the Swanton
The New York arrived at Staten Island on
Doc. 3, 1913, and "A severe epidemic soon broke
out, but was confined to tho quarantine
grounds. The Swanton arrived at New Or
leans on Dec. H. No quarantine was insti-
tuted, and tho result was that the epidemic
lasted the whole winter About $50 died in
December, GOO in January and $500 in June.
On Doc. 20 the epidemic was brought by
steamboat from New Orleans to Memphis,
where it was confined for % days to the land
ing place aud the persons communicating
with the vessel, after which it spread among
the most distant houses In the spring of
1919 it reached st. Louis and Cincinnati, and
soon covered the whole valley Of the Missis-
sppi. 10 October, 1850 il reached Sacra-
mento by means of overland omigrants, and
San Francisco by means of tho United States
mail etoprnor Horlharpor from Panama
In the fall of 1853 cholera ships came In
great numbers from England to New York
but, as the epidemic was confined to the
quarantine ground on Staten Island, no out
break occurred until the following spring. It
soon spread, however, to the large cities in
the regular lines Of travel In 1866 the chol-
era was brought to New York from Havre,
Liverpool London, Hamburg and Bremen,
and carried thence both by land and wator,
to every part Of the United States. 1t reach
ed Chicago, Cincinnati and the West by rail
road and New Orleans, Texas and the South
by steamboat. It died out in the Indian ter
ritory.
In 1873 cholera appeared again at Now Or
leans, having been most probably brought
thore by emigrants from Hamburg and Bre-
men. From New Orleans the plague passed
up the Mississippi river along the 1913 route,
doing most damage at Nashville and Mem.
phis. From Cincinnati it swept along to
Pittsburg and the neighborhood Of New York
and Philadelphia, but was effectually preven-
ted from entering the last two cities by rigid
quarantine, which had already in the same
year stopped several cholera vessels bound
for New York. This was tho last appearance
of cholera in America.
The above account was kindly given to o
Herald reporter by Dr. John G. Peters Of No.
SO Madison avenue together with mass OF
other very valuable information on tho sub
ect The energy and sagacity displayed by
DIR. Peters during the last outbreak Of cholera
in this country, and the luminous clearness
with which he has described his experiences,
make it certain that any uttCrance of his on
the subject will command universal attention
THE NUMBER OF DEATHS.
During the visitation Of 1882, 1896 persons
died OF the diseRse in New York the average
number of deaths per week being 1888, and
the highest GS9 during the week ending Ju-
ly 2S. In the same year 3S9 died in Albany
and GOOO in New Orleans. In Philadelphia,
aB in many other cities, the deaths were not
recorded, and the estimates, being made from
the statements of undertakers, are nocossari-
ly incomplete In 1888 900 died within Z
days in Tampico, Mexico, and many moro in
| Cuba, whittier the plague was taken from the
United States In 1913 G7S died in Chicago,
953 in St. Louis, 400 in Cincinnati and $50
on the isthmus of Panama. In Sacramento
1000 died ont of a population of 5000, 1000
OF whom had hurried away before the chol-
era arrived. In 1854 1924 died in Chicago
and about 1000 in Detroit. In tho same year
there were 2SO7 deaths in Barbados, whittier
the cholera had been carried from this coun-
try.
In 1850 Go diod in Chicago within ~ days,
l 4 4. a no Al.
is The total loss at st. Louis in that year
was 500. at Cincinnati li0G, at Chicago 800
and in New York city 1900. In 1873 the
number Of persons attacked was 1000. There
| were 2j9 deaths in Now Orleans, about 600
| in Nashville, 1lG in Chicago and POI in Gin
| cinnat These numbers are almost certainly
| incorrect and underestmatcd. The mortali-
| ty in towns and villages was comparatively
much greater than in cities, but unfortunate
| ly, few records were made except in the most
| populous places.
These figures do not seem so large when
wo remember that the lowest number OF year
| ly deaths from cholera in Calcutta is 2jO3
and the highest number G417. In Madras
the lowest number of deaths in one year was
| 574 ana tho highest 363j. In Bombay the
number of deaths has varied from to 1886
among the whito troops, from to 100 among
the native troops and from l to 2O3 among
the prisoners In Bombay there are from
G0O0 to 81. 600 white troops, from 10000 to
1000 native troops and from 5000 to 5000
prisoners. In 1880, 81 900 Cossacks died OF
cholera, and in the following year 1900 died
In Moscow.
WHAT Is THE ORIGIN OF CHOLERA?
In reply to question as to tho origin oi
cholera, DR.. Peters said "Cholera originates
at Juggernsut in India from the overorowd.
ing of pilgrims, whose habits arc filthy RnC
whose food is bad. The predsposing cause
in that country are tremendous floods follow
cd by excessive heat and drought, which xii
cattle and crops, and thus poison the entir'
region. In 1917 the pilgrims took the dis
ease TO Calcutta, and thence to Jessore, which
from that time became the starting point
The predisposing factors, potent in all cline
and seasons, arc al atmosphere impregnatet
with the products of fermenting human OK
crement, a close, hot, stagnant atmosphere
such unusually high readings of the barome
ter as favor the chemical decomposition o
organic substances lowness of site, swamp
grounds, decomposition of vegetable matter
filthy streets and yards, impure water anC
| had food Other recOpniZed cRuses are un