The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-10
water Is what Is wanting

tbs more horrible becomes the situation, and
the more wonder that the entire populs-
don, or at least that portion OF it who have
been attacked by the prevailing epidemic,
have not been swept into the world beyond.
From the sources from which confidently
expected some valuable and full iniorms-
sIon have been almost invariably disap-
pointed, and I am unable to write of the
situation clearly only after conversations
With half of the citizens of the town and
With men from al parts of the county, who
are here to-day from distances ranging all
She way from five to forty miles. to secure
supplies and have grinding done. The
Vater mills in this county, as in most OF the
mountain counties, are useless because of
the scarcity Of water, and the steam mill
here Is pstronized by families living far and
aesr.
souid give me any definite statement regard
ing the TaVages Of the disease was Mr.. w. R.
Jones, VINO mas travelled extensively in this
(HoE an country within the past few weeks.
lie avs the infection has been widespread
and very fatal, and that since its appearance
has resulted IN at least fifty deaths. all the
sickness in the county being on those por-
tiOus Of Glover Fork, Poor Fork, and Greasy
brownies and Pucketts creeks running
through il, The nature Of the disease does
aOt vary from the diagnosis given in former
letters. In this county, however, the vic
<iuns have almost been children, only about
s1ns out of ten being adults.
AN AUTHORITATIVE ESTIMATE.
From all sources of information I aun able
20 make the following estimate, which may
5e relied upon IS being as nearly correct as
sny that could be made without personal
n eVcr ma IN tha nnTn
-aAge been, since the latter part OF August
over zoo deaths, and OF these st least one
Gslf have died from hux or cholera infant
I'm, superiDduced by the use OF impure va
ter There have been about 200 cases Of
sickness known to be fax, and large
amount of illness from other causes espe-
risliy smOnR children, such IS whOoping
cough. bronchitis, Summer complaint, etc,
III many cases complication OF these dis
eases existing.
New made graves abound In every bury
playground on the streams above named and
the dry summer is, IN the opinion Of almost
every man with whom l have met and
talked, responsible for the unusual and
alarming mortality. The county has but
about B. 600 inhabitants and one in every
twenty of these. basing the average on the
estimate above gwen, have died. The spring
and summer, up to the latter part OF Au-
gust, were unusually healthy; then the sick
ness began, and since then 90 per cent of
IN this county, as in Bell, learn that q
prejudice against doctors exists. Some of
ahe people believe, as firmly as they believe
an Divine Being, that when q doctor enters
4heir door death stalks beside him. How
much truth there is in their superstition
will not pretend to say. In soma instances
IL is probable they would die either with or
without medical aid. IL is noticeable that
among those v 10 refuse il the death rate is
always the largest, yet there are some of
hvr0a ~ yapv ~o~tlI
every case they took through ignorance Of
their profession. These mountain counties
do not afford q princely, or even 3 pleasant
or comfortable livelihood, therefore conpe-
sent doctors are not often met With. some
Of them have only d smattering OF medicine
cleaned from the books which fG their way
into the mountains, and positively nC prac-
tical knowledge OF the mysteries OF the art
of healing. / take the responsibility for this
statement on my Own shoulders, aud il nee
essay can back it up with facts 50 indiseut
able that a question OF their trutbfulness
could not be raised.
DOCTORS DIAGNOSIS.
I met ana talked with DR.. Blair, OF tnls
place, this morning &c is young man,
and has, understand, considerable practice,
being. With one exception, tbs 0dsy phYsi-
clan IL the county. He IL Of the opinion
that recent rains and frosts have bad ten
deBcy to abate the epidemic, the yirulence
OF which, he thinks, Is governed o. the tenn
peratIre. IL the weather becomes about
Uniform night ana day, the disease decreases.
but cod nights and Warm days are inclined
10 give 1t new impetus. I also asked him
a6oCt the treatment OF the dLsezSe. Ipscac
has been, until recently, the principal 10
sredient OF the prescriptions given By him;
but cholera cure c0nsistingo OF Two drachms
Of chinchona, two dTGchms OF nitric acid
txo drachns OF sweet spirits OF nitre and
i've Dances OF EPSON salts, the whole
diluted with quart OF distilled water, has
been used with more success than anything
yet tried. This Is given 10 dcses raining 10
size from half a vinegisSsfoi down to q table
spoonful. In sorne cases Gnlnins and lsp-
san6rin have been prescribed, with varying
results. DR.. Blair gives the following az the
virtues of the various ingredients o. the
-chole1a cure: II the disease is the result OF
malaria, chlnchoDa destroys the rualafial
poison; sweet spirits OF nitre hss = tendency
20 promote the secretion of the urine, which
q invariably detective; nitric acid, Ehich is
tonic and artiSeptic- acts as an astrIngent,
la1d the salts cleanse the DO wells.
The natives, who prefer their own renOe-
dies to those Of the physicians. use all sorts
Of buTtful and silly tingS among them being
liberal doses OF bot mutton tallov, hog
srease in burnt brandy lsndsnunn. God
freys cordial, Batemaa's drops. aud VARIOUS
patent medicines Containing opium In some
form. All these are pronounced inhamn8-
tory. AID death generally follows their use
Their herb teas never do any good while IL
Is not certain that they do no harm
Ae 20 THE sIsEAsg BEING CONTAGIOUS,
I ind great diversity of opinion, but have
arrived at the conclusion ina, il is so only
when the discharge FROM the bowels
and urinary ofsaDs is allowed to stand and
I'll the room with its baleful odOrS, and
when the people are careless about cleanIi-
ness and ventilation. In this conclusion ev-
cry physician with whom have talked sup
ports me, and il is doubtless correct
II hasra ~ . 6. f. aaofs nj
three counties In which the infection has 3
foothOld-Knox, Bell and Hsrlan-and in
these, which are bat on the outskirts OF the
district in which il has been most fatal,
sum up q total OF over 400 deaths since the
latter part of August from fax alone, aud
and fully the same number from other Ills,
mostly resulting from the use OF impure or
mineral poisoned water. If include the
deaths reported D. me by Rev. Mr.. ChlIdsrs
IA Bath, Msnifee. Wolfe, ETC.. il would no