The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-07-19

RACES.
Social circumstances and the mode of
living have much to do with the spread
of cholera; not less the weather. temp
erature and the character OF the soil.
Already In India observations had been
. made that the disease ragged mostly on
the banks OF rivers, large or small. The
same observations were made during its
ravages in Europe and it was taken for
granted that damp soil was more pro-
ductive of the germs of this disease than
dry one, and hence the greatest
rayages were observed in loW-lying
countries and along rivers.
/ Pettenkofer, who made in this respect
thorough investigations, came to tie CO :
clusion in 1857, that all places where
cholera ragged were lying upon porous
soil, penetrated by air and water, while
other places built upon rocky or com
pac: foundations were free from its at
lacks 1t has further been observed
that sandy soil, which does not retain
moisture, greatly retards The spread of
the cholera; in a similar way does a
swampy soil affect the spread of this
disease. and also the heavy rainfalls of
Sllsburg and Innusbruck which tow le
although built upon alluvial soil. were
even in 1866, when the patients from the
| bIttlefelds were taken there, saved
from its attacks, because the ground
was saturated with water and thus pre-
vented the germ from finding suitable
soil. A dry year would have been very
| fatal for these towns.
The development and spread of
cholera is, therefore, dependent upon a
soil which absorbs air and moisture. 1T
does not develop into too hot nor too
cold weather, because both of these
temperatures are too dry, and the germs
of cholera is one of the diseases. while
germs flourish outside the human body
in the soil and that there they attain
maturity; for which many facts speak
for this theory. 1t is a well known fact
that cholera, unlike the black typhus, is
not spread by contagion from sick to
healthy person, for it has been ascer-
tanned that physicians, nurses and other
persons occupied in tending the sick, do
not get sick any more frequent than |
other persons, and that dissections of |
corpseS have been undertaken without |
the least danger.
1t has further been ascertained that in |
some places where cholera was raging, |
it had molly affected some persons al |
though the opportunities for its spread |
were great. 1t was, therefore, believed |
that in order to spread this disease local
adaptation was necessary outside of |
the climatical circumstances. This
hypothesis is not put aside by the fact
that 1t is most frequent on ships and 1t
Will require more minute studies to as
certain the real truth of the matter.
For long time the excrements of
cholera patients were considered the
cause of contagion, and trials were
made to administer portions to animals
in order TO settle this DOiDt
Thiersch fed mice for this purpose
with strips of paper saturated with
cholera excrements and produced symp-
toms similar to cholera, put H. Ranke,
who experimental in like manner.
showed that it is possible to produce the
same effects upon animals without giving
them anything emanating from cholera
patients. 1t has as yet in this manner
been impossible to implant cholera in
animals. Already in 1888. Ludwig
Beohm drew the attention of the physi-
clans to the fact that he had found in
the eXcrements and intestines OF cholera |
patients. minute bodies similar to the /
germs OF petri-faction; but he did not
consider these to be the cause of this
disease but attributed them to the use =
OF Berlin Ale, which physicians at that /
time had prescribed to such patients. /
Later celebrities such as Britain and
owalne, Pouchet, Davaine, Pacini (of l
me German club of Piemia). Thome,
dalller, and others had also observed U
such organisms in the intestines. but b
heir discoveries failed to be successful n
md were soon forgotten.
Then came, at the close of 1888 c
robert Koch, who had been delegated r
~ the German government to make
tudles IN that direction with the de. v
laration that he had found out the true a
'erm of cholera, and the great celebrity
Il that name led to the belief that such n
man must have well studied the case !,
office. NJ
The Baccils which he found in the in
estlnes were owing to their appearance st
allied Comma Baccils. They showed al
n inclination to increase under certain ~
ondltons; for instance, by higher H
smperature upon damp or moist pr
lothing, potatoes, etc. These BacciIs
ave only been discovered in the
enulue Asiatic cholera and never in
hoiera Nostras, and as both diseases
re similar to each other, it is often the
MY means OF ascertaining the true WI
1aracter of the disease. Although the -
scerhons of Koch have been recently w
cry much objected to, it has not altered W
- 'Ati6 Whatever III Ine 1actS 8Scer-
lined by him. lii
There is no doubt that this is the first
ep to ascertain the true nature of La
lolera. The generic relations of the IL.
omma Baccils to the Asiatic cholera M
lie conditions under which they thrive
Id the mediums through which conta- fro
ON spreads must bethoroughly studied
throw proper light upon this subject. cell
IL Is especially important to know al
neither the local circumstances have SCI
lythlng to do W. b the spread of fro
loiera. for DR.. Koch found his cholera ins
acclls in a pond near Calcutta in 3
nIch neighborho d the disease ragged :. col
ID they been brought there bv chance fro
instance, by some persons bathing tio
ishlng clothes of cholera patients or 5
any other way? These are questions frs
t to be decided. At the time of the 2
olera epidemic in London, in 1854 If ios
IS seen that those who we're supplied To .
tn water from the Lambeth Water i
mpany which was pure and clear WEI a nea
affected by this disease in any d. wat
re, while those using the water OF tie poi
uxhaH Water Company, which was lot'
y impure, suffered greatly bv that
lady, commonly known as Cholera.
Pretty W. omen q
laiipS who wOu1d ra4a;,, +-.zL ~