River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-23
THE CHOLERA.
Some Timely Suggestions by One Quail
fed to Speak.


The duty of the physician is not only
to treat present disease, but to devote
his time and ability to the prereatioa
of disease. Since cholera is now raw
aging many cities of the old world,
and has made its appearance IN ONO,
it may not be Inappropriate to make
few practical remarks on tile subject.
Patients often die in very few min
utes after an attack, so that in no
disease does prophylAXis Tor prevent
i've treatment) assume such high I'M
portance as in epidemic cholera.
Although the germ which is thought
TO produce cholera may be carried, and
the disease follows routes most tray
eled, prevails in cities, and members
of household are successfully at
tackled, still, it is not contagious
disease like small poX or typhus. To
support this assertion quote the fol-
lowing facts: ''lst OF those who are
brought into contact with the disease,
no greater proportion take it than of
those who are not thus exposed. Out
of 55, 900 cases reported by the French
government, of which Is, 900 were
fatal, only l64 were either doctors,
nurses, or those who attended the
sick. ID. Important cases do not lead
to diffusion of the disease where it
had not previously existed, with a
few striking exceptions where no san
itary regulations were enforced. Sd.
The epidemic breaks out in place
simultaneously, without cases com
municating. 4th. 1t diffuses too rap
idly TO be propagated by contagion.
5th. Efforts TO produce the disease,
by repeated exposures, incubation,
tasting eXcretions, etc, have failed. "
In view of these facts from high au-
thority which have all been repeatedly
proven, it is obvious that cholera will
appear in any place where conditions
are favorable, and having appeared the
physically weak, and those living in
bad localities, will be the victims.
Toprevent the appearance of an cpl
demic is of first importance, and it can
be done by the authorities enforcing
effectual sanitary regulations, looking
to the removal of filth and attention
to cess pools, privies and wells. To
throw little chloride Of lime or other
antiSeptic into cess pool is at best
only substituting one bad smell for
another, and the radical and sensible
way is to c}edD them out. People who
use ciStern water should have cisterns
| pumped dry and cleaned often; for
cistern water is stagnant-a will
| breed bracteria and become otherwise
| foul, even though it was filtered
| through charcoal six months or six
| years ago.
After cholera appears, it may even
| then be stamped out by prompt
measures. In New York city cholera
| appeared in $50 houses duuing the ep.
demic of 1866 These houses were
Immediately disinfected, and in not q
single instance did the disease extend
beyond the house in which a case oe
Cured. After cleanliness and the
adoption of IA digestible diet, the pre-
venton of cholera includes attention
to the diarl hma which almost invaia
bly, precedeS an attack out of 81
cases reported by Dr. Flint, SO had the
diarrhma in advance, and in 3 80.
cases reported in the epidemic Of lS4!
this premonitOly symptom was no.
lacking III a single case. ! be point Of
vast Importance here is, that during
these epidemics, al who lad effective
treatment for the diarrhoa e&capet
tie Threatened attack Of cholera Ba
it is hard for people to realize that 81
common and simple an affection is The
! precursor of so terrible Il malady u;
cholera, and so, through Ignorance o.
recklessness, they neglect Treatment
and will often apologize to their ply
stefan for troubling him 10 call WheI
on the verge of collapse JaaesriH
Gazette.