Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-06-18
Practical Facts Abou, the Cholera.
CIRCULAR ISSUED ny TIM BOARD or
HEALTH.

Cholera as 1t appears in America. j, an
exotic disease; that Is, it never arises spou.
tsneolsl, on our soil Always wien II has
appeared here. II has been possible To trace
il back 10 European ports and towns where
cholera prevailed and from there 10 India.
where II always has It's origin. Whenever 1t
has left It's As,atic home and ovcrrua and
prevailed IA Europe, a It did las, wear, it
has invariably, sooner or later found H. way
TO our own country. II ii does not appear
among Us IN the near futnre.it MIL b. a fort
innate exception from H. usuai history. In
view Of thr po,,ibiities OF having 10 deal WITH
Asiatic cholera ~ cur own Commons Attn
the Stale Board Of Health thinks il prudent
10 issue this circular.
Ii is a specific disease. caused b, a specif-
&c organic noi>on or disease germ, derived
directly or Indirect, from pre-existing cas-
es Of tie same disease.
The cholera almost ALWAYS begins with a
pfcmonitory dIarrhea. Later come vomiting
cramps, exhaustion and collapse. In some
cases the advent of the disease Is sudden
and ITS course and termination rapid.
Cholera is an infectious disease, but 1t Is
infectious only IN certain ways. II is not
catching" as small pox and scarlet fever
are understood TO be. la Calcutta. where
cholera Is always present. hundreds OF cases
have been treated in the general hospital,
and often in the same rooms with patients
sick with other diseases, without ever icing
source of infection 10 them. Physicians
and nurses who care for the sick are littIe,
# any, more liable TO take the disease than
others. And Vet. on the other hand. sin
gle case NAV poison many other individuals,
and give rise to widesDread and very fatal
explosion of the disease. How can We &C
count for this paradoxical behavior Of chol-
era? In this way: The cholera poison ex-
lists principally in the discharges from
the bowels and in the vomited matter
This excreted contagium is said not TO be in
an actively poisonous condition when it first
leaves the body, but requires a little time
to go through a Preventative stage during
which It's maignancy is developed. Con
dltlons which favor the development Of
the poison are exclusion OF fresh air. dark
ness. moisture aud warmth, and, more than
all else, filthy conditions.
II this poison is completely DESTROYED as
soon as it leaves .he alimentary canal, there
is no danger of the patients being source
objections are thrown, for instance. into the
prl,y vault, the cholera germs find all the
favoring conditions above named for their
development and increase. From the privy
vault, or from the surface of the ground the
poison may percolate through the soil, many
feet it may be. and gain access TO our wells
or other water supply.
Let il be distinctly borne in mind that, TO
take the cholera, you must eat it or drink II.
This is not an aesthetic statement of a gem
orally recognized fact, but it is hoped to
make it emphatic.
A prominent Mississippian of prac,i-
cal turn of mind, speaking OF the case of
his fellow citizen Meade, of Hazehurst,
asks: "Why make so much fuss about the
killing of Matthews when scores of men
had to be siienced in that way before Lamar
could 90 to the Senate, and thence into Mr..
Cleveland's Cabinet ?" Tne question is
certainly pertinent one and the Admins
tration will have some difficulty IN making
its Mississippi friends understand how the
Matthews case comes to be treated as an
exceptional one.-St. Louis Globe Demo-
crdf.