Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-04

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wade our fair State. the influence of our
Boards of Health would be, to say the least,
appreciated The course of epidemic chol-
era has always been from east to west. At
the time of its last invasion in this country
the insanitary con 1itions favoring its pro-
gress were sufficiently understood for the
whole country to be fortified against it. Its
force and progress were broken and dissi-
pated IN our great continent, so that it did
not reach OUT favored State. Since that
time the progress in sanitary science and i'll
the prophylaxis of epidemics has been so
rapid and great that it is reasonable to sup
pose that its progress would be arrested, its
maiignity modified and its epidemic iniiu-
ence dissipated long before it could reach
the Pacific States The expanse of the Pa
cific ocean is so great that, should the dis
ease for the first time travel eastwardiy, its
epidemic influence at least would be apt to
be lost long before it could reach our shores.
The disease, according to my experience i'll
treating ii at three different times, is conta-
gious, although contagious diseases require
an epidemic influence to become extern
sively epidemic. Our position is so iso-
lated, with the great plains and deserts and
mountains on the one side, and earth's
broadcast eXpanse of water on the other, as
to protect US, probably, from epidemic
| cholera, especially with proper sanitary
precautions and quarantine. The near
APPROACH OF YELLOW FEVER
The past year to the centers of population
in California calls for every possible effort
being made by all the means known to
sanitary science, to prevent It's Introduction
and prevalence amongst us. The insanitary
conditions existing where the disease has
| been the most malignant are so well known
| that nothing but objectionable neglect can
prevent their removal and abatement i'll our
| cities and towns were it is most apt to pre-
vail The topography OF California gives
us climatic conditions which would seem
| to forbid epidemic yellow fever conditions
| in which the epidemic influence may not
exist. Along the entire sea coast, during
| the warm season, the weather is seldom
hot more than two or three days at one
| time, whilst the GOODNESS of the sea breeZes,
and especially of the ocean winds, keeps
the temperature below that which usually
prevails during epidemics of that disease
| In the interior we always have cool nights,
| with dryness and salubrity of the atlnos-
phere, probably Incompatible with its prev
alence as an Epidemic. The dryness, cool
ness and salubrity of the mountain air,
with GOODNESS and frosts at night in the
higher attitudes, will not only protect those
localities. but they will be accessible and
safe retreats for refuge in the possible event
of an endemic of yellow fever anywhere in
| California. With yellow fever | have had
no experience. | once saw and treated
sixteen eases of cholera in Illinois; very
limited endemic forty miles from Chicago,
in a new and thiniy settled neighborhood
in the country, five miles from any village.
There could have been no local cause for
the disease. a man and woman
OF IRREGULAR HABITS,
Having stayed few days in Chicago, whore
cholera was prevailing, not extensively,
returned TO the above named locality in the
country, and were soon attacked with the
disease III highly malignant form and
both died All the other cases-fourteen
in number-were either exposed to the first
two or each other, after they were attacked
and some Of them had the disease in a
malignant form OF the whole number
attacked ! believe five died Soon after
wards had the disease myself. Although
this forciblc example, and numerous others
on record. show the disease 10 be con-
tagiuus. vet it is well established that the
most malignant epidemics of both cholera
ard yellow fever have chiefly been in towns
and cities where the scientific application
of sanitary precautions had been neglected
where organic substance had accumulated in
in all stages of mposition-u cir
cumstances and conditions best calculated
to generate and eliminate pestiferous gases
| in great quantities. The insauitary con-
ditions of the breath Of life thus produced
lower the vital powers, impair the general
| health and establish a susceptibility TO the
so-caled zynotic Observation-Disclosures of low
and often malignant type. If cholera OF
| typhoid fever, or erysipcas. or cerebro-
spinal meningitis prevail
THE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE ARE ATTACKED.
And may fall victims to the disease. Tie
same is true of yellow fever, if the usual ac-
companying conditions of protracted heat
and humid atmosphere obtain at the sane
time The pathogenetic influence of these
gases, combined with specific cOntagion,
seems to determine the nature or kind OF
| the Observation-Disclosures il be cholera, vel.
low fever typhoid fever, scarlatina or small
pox-the malignancy of the epidemic de
! pending upon the nervousness of the air,
and probably an epidemic influence in the
atmosphere, at present indclinabic. The
| prevention of diseases may be more potent
in proonging life than their cure.
THE GERM THEORY.
In considering the etiology and the pro
i phylaxis Of the above named diseases and
others. the so-called germ theory has as
sumcd importance which cannot be ig-
norcd Many of the most eminent scion
| fists, III their astrological investigations,
| believe in and have taught the theory, and
| have apparently demonstrated its verifica-
ton Others, of eminence also, explain the
phenomena By which the theory is claimed
10 be demonstrated, by showing thai bactc-
ria hacilIi, and the various micrococci, do
not sustain a cauSatiyc relation to the dis
| cases in which they are found, bnt are Sc
Qucni thereto--that were the diseases caused
by icro-organisms, all persons exposed to
| them would have the same disease each
variety would produce-and that the spe-
| ciiic variety causing each disease would be
easily detected by the patho- histologist, and
its germieide discovered; also, that the
pathological condition of the organ affect
cd, or Of the whole system in which they
are found, is first produced by other causes
creating for them q genial habitation, and
AMPLE pabulum FOR their wondrous prolif-
Grafton. Dependent upon others for histo-
! logical investigation of this subject. my con-
victions favor the latter view, viz: against
the germ theory OF causaton in almost all
diseases the so-called demonstrations
thereof admitting of other explanations.
PROPAGATION OF DISEASE
That the exhalations from large quan.i-
ties of organic matter in an advanced stage
of decomposition are noxious, and aid in
| the PRODUCTION of diseases, or produce them
directly, seems to be well established by
close observation, if not by scientific de-
monstration If organic germs donot form
the noxious element, the alternative OBJ
,ains; that combinations of gases, formed
! in their nascent state, exert depressing
and poisonous influence upon the vital or
g,,ns-probably through the agency of the
circulation. and of the brain and nervous
system. The general morbid condition
thus produced predispcses to the attack OF
such disease, or diseases, rs the prevailing
4 combinations of gases, in their intensity,
! produce Exciting causes develop the
threatened disease; or, if the pre- lisposing
cause be sufficiently intense, it also excites
the attack. If an indefinite epidemic inlu-
cncc prevail, an endemic, or an epidemic,
will be established, according TO the extent
and virulence of that influence. The epi-
delnic may bediphtheria, erysipelas, cerebro-