The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-07-12
HEALTH HINTS.


and the scourge which has acquired so terri
BILE reputation as "Asiatic Cholera" we get
spasmodic and exhausting discharges from
the bowels of every degree of intensity, To
one of these the term "cholera iniantum'
has been applied, on account of its fatal
prevalence in the case Of infants; another
tolerably familiar form is known as ''cholera
morbus'' and is due to drinking impure
water, or to the ingestion of some irritating
or unwholesome food.
In all cases the distinctive characteristic ola
choleraic disorder is the spasmodic and
watery nature of the discharges, together
with the alarming prostration accompanying
them. The strength of the most robust men
gives way in few hours under the attack,
while it may well be imagined that the
nfantile sufferers perish by hundreds and
thousands.
Whatever the cause may be, the symptoms
are plain and unmistakable. By poisonous
matter taken into the system through the
skin, the lungs or the stomach there is pro
duced a paralysis Of the vaso-motor nerves,
particularly affecting the intestinal tract In
consequence the blood is determined with
great force to the inner coats of the bowels,
The mucous membrane becomes mflamed and
separates, leaving the surface raw and
bloody. while in consequence of the failure
of the local nerves the liquid matter or
serum Of the blood transudes through the
capllaries and passes off with the evacua-
tions. In this way the blood is rapidly
deprived of its vital element, and becomes
almost Of treacly consistence. The patient
rapidly sinks and in very few hours from
the commencement of the attack, strong
man may become poor gaspiDg shrunken
wretch whose sunken eyes and blue lips
proclaim too surely the approach of the
King of Terrors. When this stage of COL
lapse has been attained, not one person in a
thousand RECEIVERS.
Asatic Cholera scarcely ever occurs in
Europe or America unless it has been intro
duced from some of the filthy and crowded
cities of the East, where it had been already
raging epidemically. No treatment has yet
proved available, unless resorted to in the
very earliest stage of the disease and where
a strong patient has had very mild attack.
me systcln seelhS 10 DC thoroughly lulecteu
aud poisoned from the very outset, independ-
emily of the mere local symptoms. Cases
have occurred where death has resulted in
Two hours after the first appearance of a
Serious discharge from the bowels. This
discharge much resembles rice-water or thin
Cruel, whence the term "rice-water evacua-
tions" used in describing the most prominent
symptom of the disease.
During the epidemic in Europe in 1866
every remedy known to the pharmacopea
was tried without effect. Dr. Chapman, OF
England described and patented an appara-
tus composed of india-rubber bags for the
application Of ice to the spine, but although
a number Of recoveries were noted there
was no proof that the result was directly
J attributable to the treatment or that an
equal measure of success had not attended
the efforts of other physicians following diff
feren4 limos ot medication Tho bact o,rao+,
were obtained when the patient was treated
Mt the outset Of the attacl, win a dose n,
castor-oil followed bv onia+as -tba svs+e,,
being supported by beectea and .lis..a,i.ie
stimulants. The mortality declined sensibly
as the weather cooled, and the invaded
towns were divided into sanitary districts, in
which each and every house was daily visited
, by members Of a Health Committee specially
organized for the purpose
Z 1t was found that one Of the most direct
} and certain elements in the propagation Of
} the disease was the diffusion of the evacua
ton of cholera patients in the drinking
water. To prevent this the committee
closed all the wells and provided funds fol-
the disintection of the discharges of patient:
, before final disposal. Filters were supplied
! and the most scrupulous care used to ensure
a the cleaning out of all waste matter from
. the CUTTERS and approaches of households
f The streets were daily flushed with carbol
f lied water, while II daily house to hous'
. visit by the committee and executive office
' enabled tables to be prepared showing tn
locality of every infe"tad hnnsO, tho name o
the heoicai attendant and the condition Of
e Che parents rom DAY TO day. Under sucl
, RESTRICTIONS Tie epidemic was controlled il
three weeks after which no new case'
3 occurred winnie III Russia, under bad SAM
tary regulations, the disease ragged witt
f iflshtiul violence till it was literally frozel
out py the winter cold
1t was found that, though the prostratiol
was general and complete almost from the
first moment of seizure, there was in man,
r cases ah important premohltory symptom
WV "'aFff'@@' 1t was then, and is now,
common error to imagine that n lax pnn6i