Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-04-20

EDITOR DEMOCRAT: In order that
our citizens may fully realize the inn
portance and necessity of sanitary
steps III our city, | give the following
extract from a late report of the state
Board of Health of Wisconsin. Many
of our old residents can recall the hOr-
ror of this deadly disease when it
swept over this locality and, undOubt-
eddy every one will put forth their ut
most endeavors to prevent the advent
of this virulent visitor:
Something has already been said
concerning this disease and the pros
poets of its reaching Wisconsin in con
neCtion with the reports of the occur
renee of Diarrhoea, DySCntery, etc,
but in view of the fact that Cholera
has actually been brought to this
country recently, some information
with regard to the disease and the out
look seems proper in this connection.
The facts with respect to ASiatic
Cholera appear to be as follows: Two
vessels, on board of which Cholera I'M
questionably existed at the time Of
their arrival, or had occurred during
the course of the voyage, reached New
York in September and October. The
passengers by these vessels, the Alesia
and Britannia, were detained by the
quarantine authorities of New York,
anI cont In Huffman and StN-in Inn n
Islands, where subsequently other eases
of the disease were developed among
them At Il somewhat later date a
third steamer, the independents, AZ
rived, having, according to the New
York authorities, a clean bill of health,
and with no cases of sickness of any
| kind on board, and still a fourth ship
from Mediterranean ports, the Pow
haitian, reached the same port, and
was suffered to land her passengers
after examination. Concerning this
! last vessel no controversy has arisen
SO far as am informed, but it has
| been said both of her and the indie
| pendente, that the examination to
which they were subjected was of q
very cursory character; the Indepen-
| dente, it is said, touched at Palermo, a
| city at which many cases of cholera
! existed at the time of her landing
! there, and took on board a number of
! passengers at that place; it is said
moreover, that some Of these people
having saSsed the quarantine at New
| \ Ork, went directly to Chicago, where
they were traced out 10y health com
missioner Of that city, and their bag
gage was carefully disinfected under
! his directions.
1t will thus appear that the danger
! Of the introduction of Asiatic Cholera
is by no means tritling one, or one to
be overlooked by our local health
authorities, and it is with them that
the responsibility of preparation chiefly
rests
We have had abundant warning We
have known that for over two wears
cholera was slowly but surely APP
preaching MS. We have known that
that the disease has always followed
the main lines OF travel, and that sew
eral great trunk lines traverse the
state But tnlS Is uOt all: we know
that railroad construction is being
pushed with great rapidity in various
parts of the state. Among the labor
borerS employed in these works are
mano Italians, and that laborers of
that nationality are tending towards
| Wisconsin with increasing frequency
! Every exertiou should be made al
the earliest moment in the spring tc
/ put all places in a condition of the
most scrupulous cleanliness.
/ And | would state further that
already cholera germs have been found
in the vicinity of Hunters Point, n. Y
w. l.. TALLMAN, NJ. D..
April II. 1888. Health Officer