Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-12-05
A THREATENED VISITATION OF
CHOLERA.
State Board Of Health Of Kentucky.


Bowling Green, Ky, Nov. %, 1881 |
To the Health Officials of Kentucky:
During the month of August last,
this Board addressed you a circular
letter advising you of the prevalence
Of Asiastc cholera in Europe, and of
the fact that it had meyer prevailed |
there as an epidemic without reach
ing our shores, and urging upon you
in the strongest terms to use every |
means in your power for the inn
provement of the sanitary condition
of the territory under your jurisdic-
ton as the best known local method
of preventing this disease. Since
that letter was sent out the disease
has gradually spread in Europe, and
the epidemic has now reached such
proportions as to constantly threaten
anvasion of this country.
In view of the imminent public |
danger the National Conference of
State Boards of, Health has called a
meeting, to be held as Washington,
u. c., December the 10th, to which |
have been invited the quarantine Of
ficers and the health officers of the |
principal ports of the United States
and Canada for conference in regard |
to the sanitary condition and regu-
lations Of the localities which each of
these delegates will represent, and in
order to secure cooperation and con-
cert of action between all the health
boards of this country in preventing
or mitigating the horrors of an cpl
demic.
1t is again urged upon you that
cholera is filth disease. 1t usually
has its starting point and is always
far more fatal in the filthy, neglected
quarters Of cities and towns, and
such quarters under your jurisdic-
ton should receive prompt and con-
tinuous attention. We would sug-
gest that sanitary inspectors be APP
pointed in every city, town and vii
lage in the State, whose duty it shall
be to visit every house, point out any
source of disease that may exist, and
urge and, if necessary, enforce the re-
moval of same. The water supply,
vaults, cellars, drains, back-yards
and alleys should receive special at
tention. Our laws confer ample
power on you for this work, and it is
believed that the necessary funds can
be secured by properly representing
its importance and practicability to
the city and town authorities or the
county courts. The responsibility is
on you until you faithfully attempt
to do your duty, and if you fail, and
: cholera comes you will have shifted
the sponsibihty to other shoulders.
This work should be begun at once.
1t will be too late after the disease is
IN our midst, as the cities and towns
Of France and Italy have found 10
their cost. Panics can only be pre-
vented by intelligent efforts to pre-
vent the location and to limit the
spread of the disease. Confidence
will be inspired by every effort that
. you make in this direction and in
this work you cannot fail to receive
the support of every intelligent citi-
zens of the community.
Iewill be well, too, for the public
20 understand that the labor and
, money expended in this work will
not be lost whether cholera comes or
not. The same unfavorable local
conditions which will enable cholera
to spead if its infective germs are i'm
ported into this State, are the same
conditions which day after day cause
and spread other preventible dis
eases, such as 1iphtheria, typhoid and
scarlet fever and other filth diseases,