New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-19
CAUSE AND CURE OF CHOLERA.
AN ANSWER TO PROFESSOR MEZzEROFF.
TO the EDITOR of TIE Trtb9ns.
qvu . II Ia IN bn bo,ad that fba ,ouflnr, A.,

| AN ANSWER TO PROFESSOR MEZZEhOEF.
TO the EDITOR of TIE TrteGns.
SR, It is to be hoped that the gentleman
whom you 90 kindly designate as Professor Mezssron
is professor Of music instead Of medicine - mems
readily endure tho poisous blown through
brass than their stomachs could the ballast OF drugs
with which he freghts his false theories Tho Garth
quake doctrine Of the origin Of cholera would be too
tempble for notice this stage of scientific knowiedge
1t that the love Of the marvellous to which
appeals might latter into insecurity against the
most dreadful psstence OF modern days For so far a.
the of Europe and America concerned 1t s
pesence Of modern days only reliable reports con-
corning cholera epdemics not being obtanabe beyond
the middle OF century. [Hrsch.l Nothing be
more contrary to the truth than that Hip
Roman or Arabian medical writer's record the
presence Of cholera in the where they lived
their description being in nearly Identical terms, Of
cholera morbus. while Asiatc cholera Is entirely DIFF
fercnt disease [Stille The first real world.famous
pesonce dates from Jessora in 1877 Lebert and the
history OF It's invading march about the earth then. and
subsequently, furnishes the most fearfuy fascinating
chapter In medical annals. From worthy Of
credence Professor Mezzero show cholera pre-
vailed IN England and Scotland IN 2l1 d. that In
86l 1t appeared in cities around the Mediterranean. or
that 1t devastated Constantinople In 480 and from
thence proceeded far the British Isles and
Africa He PROBABLY alludes to the plague glaudular
writers. which prior tho end of the seventeenth
century, truly endemic In most countries Of Europe
as 1t In the Levant aud Egypt from remote times
(Milroyl But to mako this mistake, or to strain tho
evidence, to clip it to suit fancy theory. would
nvadae the Professors testimony before any scientific
court OF Inquiry In the world
To say that cholera occurs after earthquake :,
whether five ak times, is out to mark
coincidence which cannot be 90 rare when We reflect
that probably at moment of time the surface Of the
globe entirely free from the tremor shock Of subter
violence and that 1t is estimated that twelve
thirteen more or less OF life and
property, every year. We're the theory true 1t
would follow that the disease must be newly appearing
In section Of the earth about every month In the
twelve, and that no people could remain exempt But,
the contrary. whole continents frequently undts
turbed by this oathsons scourge for long series OF
years. although shaken In divers parts by the upheaya
OF hidden forces, who many and huge provinces along
the line OF active volcanoes have yet been to the
knowledge Of y NJ man. subjected to this disease The
countries which up TO the present time
have remained free Of the cholera are Australia,
Sew-Zeaiand, the others Islands OF the Pacific the
Cape OF Good Hope aud Its adjoining settlements, the
the OF Africa far Gambia, Including the
Islands OF st. Helena and Ascension tho Azores, Ber
muda. Iceland, the Farce, the Orkney and Shetland
islands and lastly the western coast of South America
lMLroy. Certainly Puck could not stud hts girdle
the earth with more volcanic rubes than may
here be found bat the cholera has made no invasion,
nor spontaneously appeared Tne characteristics
these countries their exemption from cholera
their from India separated by vast eIpanse
OF sea- tholr slight intercomnunlcation with the
latter Land Aitken It would have been better for the
Professor havs followed Eugene Sue, and have at
buted the cholera to tho pesterous presence Of the
Wandering Jaw rather than to earthquakes aud the
eruptons OF volcanoes by the way how singular 1t Is
that. tho thousand historical proofs In his
ppsssson he should have contented himself in Offering
five "eAamples occurring before the sixth century OF
our era-a In all Europe outside OF Rome and
Greece history wandering wrath Swallowed under
fable
Again, while there is multitudinous proof of many
yruent and contagious finding their origin In the
decomposition OF OF animal matter" there
proof that cholera thus originates though might
nnd q indus suitable the development OF its germs,
should 1t unfortunately arrive by whatever MEANS Ut
the accursed spot. War aud famine and overcrowded
populations Europe have furnished this material In
abundance past. but no circumstance with which
We are acquainted has ever been known to originate
Asiac cholera dc moro among men removed from It's en-
demio OF epidemic influence beyond the confines OF
India. [Maenamara
To deny the contagousness Of cholera and seek to
aspire men with this disbelief Is wanton act and
criminal to high degree For there is, perhaps, no
other disease readily traced from victim
to victim. that is deadly and 90 irremedablo as
thisJ sparng." the professor himself states.
neither youth, age. sex, nor condition. all
aliKo falling victims to Its relentless raw
ages" To assert that cholera Is not infectious.
aud that In hospitals devoted TO the disease
arc never or seldom attacked. Is a most outrageous
statement In Branson In 1857 one OF the Sisters OF
Charity who had nursed cholera patients with immu
nifty was herself attacked at the end OF the epidemic
after assisting In washing up the soed isen. and died
Of the disease. [Lebertl From washerwoman. who
died after washing the clothes Of cholera fugitive, the
epidemic developed Ia Zurich Ia 1857. In Constantl-
nople less than twentyseyen physicians and medical
assistants we're attacked aud died during their attend
ance cholera patients, and In Paris and Touon
similar results followed. At Halifax two physicians
who volunteered In aid OF the steamer England, whose
and passengers were disabled by tho ravages Of
tho cholera, took the disease and one died Read In
1882 tho Of cholera In Edinburgh were In tho
proportion OF to every i.2Oo OF the population.
while nmonP those In attendance upon the sick the
proportion was IA i've. IN iS4s49 oneourth OF
the nurses employed In the cholera hospital took the
disease In tho London Hospital In 1850. OF the regular
nurses Ave contracted the disease aud four died. In
lgIg IN Philadelphia. three four OF the volunteer
physicians who attended cholera patients at the
Hockey Hospital had attacks OF tho disease and two
OF them died" lstile.l
AT Moscow ls4O. 80 to 40 per cent OF the hospital
attendants the disease, while only cent
of the general population were attacked at Berlin In
1881, In Romberg's Hospital hfty-four out Of ITO
persons were attacked; IN 1887, onc-ifh OF the
attendants took the disease and on on1 ofeS
In La Charlie Hospital In Paris, In lS4o, oDesixth OF
the attendants had the disease. while only onewenty
fita the general population suffered from it; In Nit
tau IN lsiS oncha OF the physicians took the diseases
IN 1892 Toulon ten health officers Gut OF thirtyvs
were III with tho cholera aud i've OF them died. while
ten OF the thirty workmen employed In carrying away
tho dead suecuubed at Stockholm In 1883 Of $50 at
tonduns, ghtb took the Diseases In lS49 at Stra
bourg. Ave nurses out OF ten were attacked Gries-
inRerl 80. - |
mountains 5000 feet high. Lebert says I'D the
southern mountain chains OF Asia and Amer.
tea, during the hrst decade. 1t leaped
over high mountains and prevailed lofty platcaus
5000 the level ofhe And Ia the
r.nnrt Inlnn ChOlora COmmtlee the epldem