New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-04
THE CHOLERA.

| It seems to be admitted that the cholera
which has been introduced to France from
| TOnquin is of the Asiatic type. Tho attempts
| to prevent tho spread of the disease from
| ToulOn do not appear to have been successful,
and there is evidently danger that it may obtain
a strong foothold in France, and that it may be
carried thence into other parts OF Europe. In
the employment of disinfcctants the ToulOn
physicians have shown lingering belief In the
| old and now supposed to be exploded theory OF
| infection through the atmosphere. The light
ing of fires in the streets, resorted to by these
authorities, must be entirely useless II, as al
| legged by Koch and other investigators, the
cholera germ is a bacillus which breeds in the
intestnes, and Is introduced to the system
| through food or drinking water. So also, If the
new theory is sound, the fear of infection frcm
wells or reservoirs is groundless. In Asiatic
countries. where the public tanks arc
commonly used for washing bathing and
culinary purposes such danger undOubt-
cdly does exist. and il Is equally certain that
this defiance of sanitary conditions is one of the
most active agents in the propagation of cholera
In those countries.
But il Europe It must bc possible 10 keep the
water used for drinking and cooking from poll
luton and therefore It should be practicable to
prevent the spread OF tho disease, unless the
new theory ia after all only partial cXplana-
ton of its genesis, and ID really propagatcs
itself In othcr ways Koch IN said To have
found the cholera bacillus In wator. But IL Ia
not shown that he knew how II camc there. OF
course IL might have been introduced by some
cholera patient But since thoro IA no certainty
IA to this the supposition that tho germs wcro
carried to tho watorby the airsooms enable; ana
So we arc brought back TO the old hypothesis
again. Tho truth probably Is that tho genesis
of cholera il still unsettled, and that tho Koch
theory, while perhaps quito truo ~ far ~ IL
goes, does not cover the ground completely.
II Is reported that the inhalation of pure oxy-
gen has been discovered TO DO II cure for ch0l-
era. II is possible that in the carly stages of
the disease oxygen may bo useful but II must
be remembered that it cannot become IN ell
Gent remedy, because its administration de-
mands apparatus which can only be found in
hospitals. For house practice, save in Isolated
cases. it wOnd be inaccessible. lt must
also be borne in mind that true Asiatic chOl-
J eta is terribly swift In its action. Be-
tween the appearance Of the first symptoms
and death three or four hours only may inter-
vene.
Remedies, therefore, to be effective, must be
powerful and capable of prompt application
After collapse it may be doubted whether cure
is possible; but collapse occurs early in Asatic
cholera. AS regards the United States there
ought not to be any cause for apprehension
The ocean space separating us from Europe is of
itself trustworthy quarantine, while our
facilities for preventing the importation of the
disease are such that it can only reach our
shores by the most incredible and almost i'm
possible negligence. For all this it is of course
necessary that the utmost vigilance be exer-
cised. and our medical scientists will not
waste their leisure if they devote some of it to
a renewed search for remedies. For the laity
it may be said that sanitary conditions are al
ways IN order, and that cleanliness. personal
and otherwise, attention to diet, regular habits
and avoidance of excessive work IN hot
weather, will as rule carry those who observe
these precautions through far Sckier season
than we are at all likely to undergo.