Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-02
CHOLERA.
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE FROM
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
what to Do in Case Of Cholera In
vasion, and what to Do Now TO
Prevent t-Disinfectants.

vasion, and what to Do Now TO
Prevent It-DiSinfeCtants.
The Legislature of the State OF Califor-
MIA. during its last session, 1855, having,
with the utmost indifference to the sanitary
welfare of the people, in utter disregard of
the suggestions offered by his Excellency
Governor Stone1nan in his biennial mes
sage, and equally regardless of the impor-
tunities Of the State Board of Health, re-
fused to appropriate a single dollar to pro-
tect the State from the invasion of infec-
tious or contagious diseases; therefore, in
view Of the possibility, or rather the proba-
bility, of cholera extending its ravages to
the Pacific coast this summer. the State
Board Of Health deem it prudent to offer to
the public few words Of warning as to
the necessity OF the early employment of
sanitary measures. to arrest the develop
mcnt of disease or mitigate its yirulence if,
unfortunately, it should appear among us.
Cholera being essentially q preyentabie
| disease all questions concerning its cause
pe0ple lust now, when Europe IS again the
| the4ter Of its manifestations; and as all pre-
| yentive measures are based upon the as
| sumption that the virus or germ of the dis
ease is a living organism capable Of trans
mission through water, TODD. clothing or
personal contact, and, like all living matter,
| is itself susceptible of death, the prevention
| of its dissemination, or the means of It's
| speedy destruction, are the desiderata to be
| sought.
Cholera upon these shores is 4 foreigner,
and has never yet visited us, except by i'm
Dortation, and then only after ample warn
| ing. Last year the warming came to US
! from France and Italy; this year it comes
! from Spain and the shores Of the Mediter-
ranean How soon it may reach New
! York or other seapOrts upon the Atlantic
! border is a question of time. II is sure to
| come along the highway Of travel. and
| once landed on our shores, will make its
way across the continent quite speedily.
| Had the question OF quarantine, efficiently
exercised, been entertained by the last
| Legislature, and provision made for its
main tenauce, we believe we could have
| kept cholera, yellow fever and smallpox
| out of California. The highway IS now
open, and we must expect to reap the fruits
Of the criminal negligence, ignorance, and
! What can be done in the way of proven
ton locally? Much may be done if the
! officers of health or the properly Consti-
tuted authorities do their duty Cholera, as
| was said before, is q preventable disease;
! its habitat is among a crowd; It revels IN
| filth and decomposing organisms, but fail
| ing 10 find suitable conditions for its growth
and maintenance it dies out Consequently,
! the very first thing to he done is for each
! individual to see that his house, clubhouse
! and yard IS put into a good sanitary cOndl-
| ton. Do not wait for any health officer,
! see to it yourself. Have your drains cleaned
| out and flushed with water your priyy or
! cesspOOl cTnptied and disiniected immedl-
atelv. See that your cellar is cleared Of all
| decaving substances, have it thoroughly
| whitewashed, and all filth, rags etc.
| burned If you have q well, see that the
water thereof is not contaminated by drain
| age from the house or outhouscs. If you
| have the slightest suspicion that 1t is,
| boil the water before using, or, better still,
| shut up that well and dig another away
! from all chance OF such contamination.
! IF YOU use river water, which is always
| more or less polluted, see that 1t IS boiled
| before drinking il, and yOu viii save your
| health for the trouble. Avoid crowding in
| sleeping rooms See that each room IS
| properly ventilated nothing being so con-
| ducive to disease as an oYerCTowdsd and
| i'll ventilated apartment. Plenty of fresh,
| pure air. pure water, and wholesome food,
| with household and personal cleanliness,
| viii do more to prevent the access Of chol-
! era 10 your dwelling than all the supplica-
| tons Of the credulous or the nostrums Of
| the charlatan While there IS danger Of
! cholera, OF, indeed, any epidemic disease,
| deYelopingin your midst, it is an act 81 pru-
| dence to avoid excessive fatigue from any
| source, as the system when tired or eX-
| busted is much more liable TO injection and
| less able 10 resist il than in other condI-
tons. It is also indispensable that the
stomach and bowels be kept in healthy
state by avoiding all unripe fruit, decaying
| vegetables fish, flesh, or any food that is
not perfectly sweet and fresh. Temperance
in all things should be enjoined, and espec-
ially in alcoholic beverages, as ii is found
bv experience that the Incorporate, or those
addicted to drinking Intoxicating fluids, are
the first to die in an epidemic Of cholera
Nature knows no mercy in dealing with
the vi0lators of Natures laws; if her laws
are transgressed The punishment is swift
and certain. Food should not be kept in
The same room with the sick from any in
fictitious disease; neither should that uncon-
sumed by the sick be used by others, but
either burned or disposed Of III some other
! equally safe way.
II CHOLERA SHOULD APPEAR
In your dwelling the first thing to do is to
isolate the patient, put him in a comforta-
bic room without carpets and with as little
/ furniture as is consistent with comfort, dis
! infect Immediately all discharges from the
BODY, and either burn or bury them do
not throw them into either privy or cess
pool, to poison your family or your neigh
bors see that the patient las medical at
tendance promptly; do not wait ten or
twelve hours to see if he viii get better
delay in cholera means death. Cholera
always gives warning of its approach by
premonitory dlarrhca this is the faYora-
BILE opportunity to arrest the disease; the
attack is then under the control of med
icine udiciously chosen and administered (;
a few hours delay and it viii have passed
from comparative safety into extreme dan
ger-pcrhaps beyond the power OF remedies
to save; act, then, promptly and intelli-
gently, and a valuable life may be rescued
from q fatal Illness.
Ifthere is no medical man within easy
call, ard q person be attacked with premon-
itory diarrhea, place him in bed at once,
apply warmth TO the feet, mustard pOul-
tee over the abdomen and give q teaspoon
full of paregoric (which is to be found in
| every family, every hour until your med
| zeal attendant arrives. Do not give, lndis-
crimnately, stimulants-brandy, red pep
per. canphor, ginger, etc, advised BY
busvbodies wait for skilled medical advice
more people are killed by quackery and
mcddlesome triAing than by disease.
IftraveIing, avoid as much as possible
using urinals or water closets at railway
stations they are constant sources Of in
lection if not properly taken care of and
daily disintected.
I Remember that cholera is always, in this
country, imported it seeks crowds, and fol
lows, as rule, the line of travel railway
companies and lines of transportation gen
orally should see that all urinals, water
closets and baggage-rooms belonging TO Tho
company or about their premises are daily
| cleansed nnrifea and disinfected.