Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-07

dllIl ollC-Ildll tluiCo as 10 o'Ao5
those using the pure water, the condl
tons of life amongst those using tn
two waters being in all other respect
exactly the same. [See report Of DR.
John Simon, May, l, 1856, on the las
two cholera epidemics OF London a
effected by impure WATER
"The experience of Glasgow was t.
the same effect. Up to 1855. the. waite
used by the city was taken from tn
Clyde, a highly polluted stream: Ate
that date the source of supply wa
changed to Loeb Katrine, the waite
from which is almost absolutely pure
The result is seen in the fact that tn
mortality from cholera, which i'll 1882
1s49 and 1854 had been 1910 AM
119 respectively in 100000 population
figures from three to five times a
great as the corresponding ones TO
London, tell in 1866 to l 6-10 per 10,
900, q rate so small as to be utterly in
significant, except it shows that tn
disease was there and ready to spread
had the former conditions been als'
present.
"But the propagation Of cholera b,
means of water has been shown evel
more c%onclusively in cases where tn
water has been taken, not from tn
pipes of public supply, but from pc
luted wells. One of the most notet
instances of this kind is found in Lon
don, where in 1854 q violent outbreal
of cholera in a crowded district, jus
east of Regent street and south OF Ok
ford street, was traced to the use o
water from q certain we'll known a.
the Broad street pump. 1t was her
shown, as the result of very thorough
investigation, that the objections OF
fatal case of cholera were thrown int
a leaky drain which ran within three
feet of the we'll: and that immediatel!
thereafter in the population using wa
ter from this well, cholera broke GU
with great intensity, SO that within {
month the number of fatal cases in Thu
limited district was no less than 6O9
1t was further shown that with rar'
exceptions those within this district
who for any reason did not use thii
water, were free from cholera, willis
there were a number ofdeaths amongs
persons outside of the district who haC
the water of this pump brought tt
them on account of its fancied superb
GRITTY. Amongst seventy men employ
ed in a brewery on Broad street neal
the pump, but who did not use its water
there was no cholera; whilst the work
men on some new buildings immedi'
ately adjoining the brewery, who die
use the water, lost from cholera no less
than seven out OF thlrty-tive.
SIN Hope street, Stafford, a suburb
of Manchester, where in 1S49 there was
a sudden and violent outbreak of chol-
era, there were 60 houses which took
their water from wells believed to be
unpolluted or from the water.wOrks,
whilst the remaining 80 were depend
ent upon a shallow we'll which re-
the drainage from an obstructed
sewer which passed within 9 inches OF
the edge of it, and was believed to
have been further polluted by water i'm
which the bedding of two persons who
had died of cholera had been washed.
Amongst those using the water of this
well, there were 26 attacks of cholera
and % deaths-a rate of mortality al
most within precedent-whilst amongst
those in the other 60 houses there was
not a single attack. (Report of DR..
to the general board OF
page ~
"Paisley, Scotland, which in all pre-
vious epidemics had been very sharp y
in 1866 lost from cholera but
seven lives, the of the difference
beiug that in the former years the va
ter supply was taken from wells.
in the latter the health authori-
lies had caused all wells to be entirely
up. In like manner in the same
year in Brooklyn, n. Y an outbreak
Of cholera in a district which took its
from a certain famous pump on
Van Brunt street was promptly check
ed by the removal of the pump handle.
(See paper by DR.. c. F. Chandler in
Transactions American Public Health
Association vol. l, page Sal.
MEANS OF PREVENTION.
"From facts like these, which if it
necessary could be multiplied in
definitely, we see that as a safeguard
cholera the one thing to be
ooked after is not the cleaning of
streets and alleys, but the prompt and
complete removal of eXcremental filth,
that it may not pollute the air nor
our drinking water. 1t is not,
md perhaps never will be, practicable
% prevent the importation of cholera
nto any city which lies IN the highway
If commerce. 1t has never tailed
hitherto to break through any quaran-
line short of absolute non-intercoarse.
lust so, it is impossible In any city to
prevent fires. But, as in the
after case, if we build of BRICK and
it is always possible to contine a
ire to the house in which it originates,
10 in the former. by removing the ma
erials by which cholera spreads it is
lot only possible, but very easy to
stamp out the disease wherever it ap-
)ears. A perfect system of sewerage
thoroughly utilized, and a supply OF
water put into every house, and
lsed to the exclusion of everything
Use, will hereafter render our cities
;holera- proof. And even now an ep
demic of cholera cannot be regarded
Is anything but a city's disgrace.
CONDITION OF ST. LOUIS.
"In view of all this what shall we say
If the condition of st. Louis? Are we,
are we not, prepared for a visitation
If cholera? In answer to this it would,
If course, be pleasant to dwell, as We
ire much in the habit OF doing, upon
he unquestionable facts OF our admir-
lble drainage, both natural and artiti-
'ial; upon the excellent quality of u
public water supply, whose freedom
rom hurtful impurity is absolute, and
lpon the very low figures of our an
lual death-rate, which, after all posi-
Die deductions, show st. Louis to be
formally one OF the healthiest of cities.
And if we looked only at these things
t would be easy to persuade ourselves
hat we are in no special danger and
iced do nothing but calmly await the