New-York tribune., 1885-08-14
CAUSE AND CURE or CHOLERA
THE VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE OF PROBES.
SOR MEZZEROFF.

bOk MEZZEkOFF.
TO the Editor Of TAs TrtbWns.
SIR: As cholera is now making Its ravsges in
Spain, and has begun in France. 1t is very likely
shall soon have 1t here also. would like there
FORE for the benefit of tho public to publish In your
paper what / believe to bo tho true cause OF
cholera, and also the medicines that know from
experience will both prevent and cure 1t. After
four months experience through two epidemics, ia
one of which nearly lost my life. can speak OF 1t
both physician and victim. 1t would afford me
great pleasure If Icoud help to the lives OF my
fellow mon, not only by medicine, but by uproot-
ing the fasehood and superstition which are taught
and believed about the cause and action OF the
pestilsnce.
The cause and cure of cholera have engaged tho
minds of the foremost scientists and thinkers OF all
ages and yet little success has been made. for the
plague stalks through the land like great giant,
coming and going when and where it pleasos. and
doing as 1t likes, sparing neither youth, ago, sex
condition, all alike falling victims to its relent-
less ravagcs.
The cause OF cholera is ascribed by largo ma
jorty of doctors aud Others to either vegetable or
animal germ. which they say enters the human
system either by the air we breathe, the water we
drink the food eat. by the pores Of the skin.
through which these germs said to find access,
and thus get into the blood, in which they grow
aud propagate their kind so fast that plenty OF
cholera victims have died within one hour from
the time of attack. For some time this germ was
said to be vegetable spore. but now some OF these
theorists assert that it belongs to the animal king
dom and that it is an infinitely small being, say
ne-ten-thousandth of an inch in size, and lives
like other animals by the use ofoxygen, which 1T ex-
tracts from the human blood aud thus
destroys life. But, strange to say,
we are asked to believe that this
malicious and destructive little fellow will not eat
anything but human blosd. And he can beat Dr.
Tanner all to pisces for no live for years with
out food. He is said to float in the air thousands
Of miles, or he permits sailor or soldier or
other person TO look him up In trunk and is
carried long distances by and land, and when he
takes into his head he enters the human body and
multiplies 50 fast that he takes the life of his
victim in one hour.
Tho public is asked to believe this and Is so
frightened about infectious cholera germs that the
people are mora afraid Of q thing that was never
seen by human eyes than they would be OF ten
thousand black cobra snakes. whose bite Is sure
death. For parents flee from their children and
children from their par snts when either are affected
by cholera.
Why do these infusoria leave the body when they
have such liking for human bloodi Why do they
Why DO they select some and reject othersf Why Is
IL that moro than the victims recovery Why
ia IL that these animals have such liking for
human blood and yet cannot eat 1t at 5000 feet
above the sea level For cholera was never known
TO exist on mountains 5000 feet high. All
other animals eau eat more on mountains than
in valleys. Why are those exempt from natures
laws3 But other infectious germs can live and
grow on high mountains, for practised my profess
sion 900 feet above sea levol and found typnoid
smallpox and diphtheria In most virulent forms 10
exist there Why coald not cholera alsof These
germ theorists should answer this logical questi on
before they frghten the people out of their senses
about cholera.
/ might 20 on with their foolish absurdities but
the foregoing will suffice to convince any rational
man that these theorists vain dreamers Let
the public stop a,d consider that these same men
who advocate this germ theory have never found
any drug 10 kill these assumed germs
n The true cause Of epidemic cholera Is poisonous
gas hich emanates from the earth. previous to.
during. and after earthquakes and volcanic erup-
tons and during tho decom2o'itioa or largo
masses Of animal matter In proof of this position
could give a very largo number Of facts from
recorded history extending over three thousand
wears and more so far as / have searched
history there has not been one instance
where cholera plague has not either preceded
or followed earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
OF the many thousand historical proofs in my pos
session shall only give few notable examples-
Let us begin with tho Christian era, although We
could 90 back to the days of Moses and ind tho
same things occurring.
In the year 2l1 A. d. there occurred In Engiand
and Scotland dreadful earthquake. which was nm
mediately followed by q most terrible cholera
nlapue. that in q few weeks killed 100000 In
Scotland In 252 there were exhalations from
the earth that smelled like the stencil from
dead animals and in few days
most terrible earthquake occurred after which a
choera of the most destructive character fol lowed.
In 98I earthquakes shook all the cities around the
Mediterranean and every Of these cities was
soon after visited by severe cholera epidemic In
458 an earthquake destroyed the entire city OF
Antioch. and before the earth had ceased trembling
n cholera plague broke out aud dssolated the sur
rounding country and spread to all Europe.
quakes visited Constantinople and nearly
destroyed the whole city, and several days
before it ceased cholera broke out a1d hnlsned the
work which the earthquake had begun. The
plague reached England and Scotland. and nearly
depopulated Africal Passing over the interim.
10 1346 there was most dreadful eartnguake ID
streams of blue fire besides solid bodies of flames,
which during their fight gave off such a stencil
that man. boast aud every living thing died In It's
path. The poisonous gas was such that men
| dropped down and expired ID great agony
while in few days cholera broke out In violent
| epidemic form. depopulating half Of Asia short
time after this a severe earthquake shook the Gu
| tire Island Of Cyprus, after which cholera nearly
Was an earthquake here before the cholera broke
out. / could give many hundred most notable in
| stances. but tho foregoing may suffice to make
some of these germ theorists think Instead of as
sert. | am not now ready to assert what the
chemical composition Of this gas Is. but
| can give It's characteristic qualities. And
| iirst IT is heavier than air. as
IL has never boon able to rise to height OF 5000
| feet as cholera was never known any mountain
| of that height Who ever heard Of cholera visit
ing the Sierra Nevada Mountains Of California;