The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-20

beyond question. have found some phe-
nomena, AS in the cases which / investi-
gated in India"
"Were the microbes identical ?"
"Precisely. found numbers in the
body of that soldier, Bernard, whose post.
norton l made Sunday evening. In
deed, found more than saw in Egypt.
Messrs. Strauss and Roux, who were
standing by, also recognized the presence
of Indian microbes in Egypt, but had al
ways seen it mixed with others, whereas
in postmortems that l have made here
the Indian microbes outnumbered the
others immensely"
"Where do you find the microbes in
time of epidemics p
"The microbe is rarely met with in the
stomach. The disorders of the digestive
favorable to it, so it takes refuge in the
small intestines, where it can easily null
tiply."
"What mischief does the microbe do
in the intestines p the doctor was asked.
"First, its presence causes diarrhR,
and vomiting, leading to thickening and
chilling of the blood; then it secretes an
intoxicating poison, which causes the dry,
instantaneous cholera in the original
cholera-foudroyan ssc-that is, chol.
era without diarrhps."
"With such precise information as this,
doctor, surely one should soon be able to
destroy the microbe."
"No doubt; but have nothing to do
with cures i am mere observer let
others profit by my observation and sug-
gestions. l have already told you con-
taminstion is not caused by air, but by
absorption of microbes, injecting food
especially water and solid food-intro-
duced into the digestive tubes"
az presume that explains why, this
afternoon, you advised the members of the
sanitary committee to shut up the wells
and counsel the people to drink boiled
water, or water from non-infected places,
or light mineral water?"
Eyes. 1t also explains the necessity
of taking only well-cooked food, peeled
fruits, vegetables and preserves. Remem-
Der microbes die if exposed to high, and
especially to dry, temperature"
"Will you kindly explain your theory,
to enable me to repeat it ?"
"With pleasure. hold that microbes
are transmissable only by excrements or
objects soiled by excrements. Conse-
quently the first precaution to take is to
subject the linen of cholera patients to
heat, not air, and picnic acid more or
less concentrated. Microbes cannot live
in concentrated solutions of picnic acid,
or in dry atmosphere. Remember, they
develop and multiply in the damp. They
have been found in ponds in cholera
countries.
"Would a great storm of wind, the
mistral, for instance, destroy microbes in
apartments, linen, etc. 2"
eyes, certainly no soiled object is the
least dangerous once it is dry, for the
microbe has become powerless to repro
duce itself indeed, it is dead"
"One more question" said your CORE
spondent. 1T is this: Did the theory
of the destruction of the microbe by dry.
ness lead you to advise the closing up and
drying of contaminated apartments for
several days ?"
eyes, and to pronounce the disinfect.
ing of luggage. letters, and travellers in.
effectual. | cannot understand how any
faith was ever put in it."
Chow about watering the streets and
the boulevards Z"
"The practice is dangerous. 1t favors
the conditions for the reproduction and
propagation of microbes"
"Then it would be preferable to leave
the streets dry and dusty 2"
Certainly"
"What is your opinion regarding the
origin OF the present epidemic?
al think | may say that, considering the
precautions taken by the naval authori.
ties, cholera was imported on some mer-
chant ship, probably English. They do
not scruple on English vessels to hide
deaths which occur on voyages, or to fal.
sify logs"
"Of course" said l, "you disapprove of
crowds altogether 2"
"All public fetes and fairs, and conse.
quently the fete of July l4th, should be
forbidden"