Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-07
L
SECOND PAPER READ BE-
FORE THE ST. LOUIS
COMMERCIAL
CLUB.
BY MR.. ROBERT MOORE.

An Article That Should be Reac
and Preserved by Every:
Adult in Lafay-
cite County.
worth a hundred Times It.
Weight in Gold.
Mr.. ROBERT MOORE's PAPER.
Mr.. Robert Moore's paper was al
follows:
Recommendations proceeding tc
the consideration of the question, how
is ST. Louis prepared for the expected
visit OF Asialic cholera which you have
given to your committee, it will be
well, first of all, to state as briefly as
possible a few of the most important
conclusions which the students OF
cholera have reached in regard to the
sr5Ofigin of the disease and the conditions
OF its propagation. This done, we
shall be in a position to answer intelli-
gently whether or not these conditions
exist here aud to what extent. The
studies of the phenomena of cholera by
men in all parts of the wOr d., during
the last fifty years, have resulted in
their practically unanimous agreement
in the following propositions:
"First-ChoIera is not originated
spontaneously, but is the product of a
previously existing germ which is car
ried from place to place. Mere dirt,
therefore, without the imported seed,
will not originate cholera any more
than it will a crop of wheat.
"Second-The primary seat and
nursery of this germ is found in the
contents of the stomach and bowels of
a cholera patient, and the spread OF
the disease is in all cases due to the
conveyance of particles of this poison
to the mouths of other persons. Chol-
era is pre-eminentiy a disease due to
excremental filth.
"Thlrd-The conveyance Of the in
fective matter from II person to
another may take place in several ways
of which the most important are the
following:
DIRECT TRANSMISSION.
~. 1t may be done directly, as
where one makes immediate use of the
clothing or bedding of a cholera
patient, or, after handling infected ar
ticles, eats with unwashed hands.
This method of transmission is favored
by poverty and o~vercrowding, which
often necessitates the very dangerous
practice OF preparing aud eating food
In the same room with the sick. 1t
accounts, also, for the spread of chol-
era on emigrant ships, where isolation
and cleanliness are, as q rule, impossi-
BILE.
TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE AIR.
"2. The poison may be carried for
short distrance through the air. This
method of conveyance is the most
probable explanation of many cases in
which cholera has been spread by un-
packing clothing, in some cases after ii
has been carried thousands OF miles.
IT is quite possible, however, that in
these cases the disease germs were con
veyed to the mouth directly, or by the
hands, rather than by simply breathing
the contaminated air. The cases which
most certainly establish this method OF
Transmission are those in which cholera
has been traced to the use of filthy
privies. A notable instance of thi.
sort occurred in Zurich, where, in 1867,
there was an outbreak of cholera in
the large machinery works of Messrs.
E>cher, Wyss s. Co. After about
thirty of the workmen had been at
tackled it was discovered they had all
used one particular privy. This being
immediately closed, no further attack
occurred in the works. Other in
stances of transmission through The air
are found in Merthyr Tydvil, Wales, in
1919, aud in Southampton, where in
the sewrage pumping works be-
am ii focus fuI the spread of cholera,
which was checked, however, by the
substitution OF a closed iron pipe for ali
open channel through which the sew
age ran i'll a seething and trothy OIL
diiion. See sixth report river pollu-
tim commission OF 1868, PIP. las,
1871
n he mere breathing of the same air
as that OF a cholera patient is, however,
probably not attended with any dam
ger. Experience i'll India has shown
that the nurses and physicians in chol
era hospitals are no more subject to
cholera themselves than persons who
have not been in contact with the dis
ease. See report Oh sanitary meas
ures in India in 1901. London, 1882,
page a. In this sense the disease is
not contagious.
TRANSMISSION BY WATER.
"3. But the chief means by which
the disease is carried is by the Use OF
water which has been polluted by chol-
era objections. This method OF con-
yevance has been established in such a
no,lt.t,1o nf noSao that ON von,ntio,
of them renders doubt impossible.
Some of the most notable and carefully
registered instances have occurred in
England.
lin London the water supply is fur
nished by eight private companies, five
of whom, in 1S49, took their water
from the Thames in front of the city,
where is a tidal stream and greatly
contaminated with sewage. The effects
of drinking this water during the choi-
era epidemic of that year are given by
the river pollution commissioners in
these words [see sixth report rivers
pollution commissioners of 1868, page
1421. 1.-The portion of the metropolitan
population which vas supplied by
water taken from the Thames at Kew
(the highest mp the river) suffered ia
tdill lIOLl CloiCId w lC CAtCIll vi
eight in 10000. OF every 10000 peO-
pie supplied with water taken from the
river at Hammersmith seventeen died.
OF the Inhabitants of Belgravia, St.
Georges's. Hanover Square, Chelsea
and Westminster, supplied with water
taken below Che sea- hospital, forty
seven i, 10000 died; whilst the dis
tficr drawing their supply still lower
down. viz, at Battersea and between
Humgerford and Waterloo bridges,
where the river was still more foul,
suffered to the extent OF 1853 deaths t.,
10. 900 Inhabitants. In other words,
the rate of mortality was in direct
proportion to the degree OF pollution
of the water supply.
Between 1S49 and 1854 one of the
two companies which supplied the
south side of London, viz, the Lam
beth company, moved its source of
supply in the river to Yeddington,
where the water is comparatively pure,