St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-01-07
ASlATlC CHOLERA.

ASiATIC CHOLERA.
eynpto0s q the fsrsssse Plsgse sd Hes
Its Gosns Are Spread.
The first symptoms Of Asiatic cholers
Is mild diarrhea. with or without
vomiting. The patient is likely to fee
invigorated. rs il purged by medicine,
and many 20 about with little or no
sign OF sickness. In two or three days
there is violent explosion of the
disease. In few hours the patient
may Be- in An almost helpless condition.
In the early stages the patient may at
tend to usual avocations, thus sowing
or spreading the germs Of the disease
in many places. The germs are con-
tanned in the discharges from the
stomach and bowel aud also probably
from those of the kidneys. The pos
abilities and even the probabilities are
that every thing the patient handles
will become contaminated and danger
Gus. A piece of bread handled or
broken BY such person and eaten by
another will probably cause an attack;
fruit. cake, any thing-in cholera
times fruit and vegetables are generally
considered dangerous. but only such
are that have been handled by the
afflicted persons.
In 1866 saw cases daily for many
days and ate fruits and vegetables of
al kinds. even cucumbers. and oc-
casionally soft shell crabs. They were
much less dangerous to me than piece
OF bread or IN apple touched BY one Of
the patients NIhad contracted cholera,
such . diet would have made it much
worse and more dangerous. They could
not produce cholera unless they were
contaminated BY somebody diseased. I
was very particular in keeping my
hands clean. In 1873 I carried my own
towels in my pockets and would not
use . basin in house where there was
. case Of cholera I had the water
poured over my hands and wiped them
with my own towels.
After the explosion Of the disease tho
patient becomes very weak. and fire.
quently goes into what is called col
lapse. The patient Is cold. almost pulse
less. his features pinchcd. tongue. nose
and breath cold. and his hands. feet
and face probably blue. You can often
tell cholera patient many feet distant
by the blue col or ofhis skin. Singularly |
enough. . proportion OF the collapse
cases recover. almost - many BY mild
treatment IS when the most energetic
measures are used. DR.. Smiths col
lapse cases 1t Swinburne Island seem
to have done remarkably well under
hypodermic injections Of brandy and a
little carbolic acid mixed. The recover
les were quite astonishing. and as large
in proportion q BY any other treat
ment
Late in July. 1866. . tremendo,
outbreak of cholera occurred among
,ino hundred workhouse people on
Island. DR.. Frank H.
Hamilton said he would stamp it out in
en- days. and did 20. He drove all the
inmates from their crowded rooms
'entilatcd and cleaned every thing.
the food. put guards at tho
losets to watch for any one who visited
hem more than once . day, put
holera medicines in the hands of trusty
nurses. and in few days the epidemic
ras practically over. and in ten days
II gone. But there were l7S deaths
lmOst before DR.. Hamilton took /.
barge. 1t was fearfullv sudden. There ;
rere eight cases in seven days. and in
wo nights the inmates fell by the /.
core. There are cases which came
ndcr my notice where a weaker per. .
On sickencd and died before a strong
erson from whom the disease was con- .
racted showed any signs Of it. New :.
'rleans had an incompetent health
fficer in 1873 who let in cholera and
elbow fever. He was duly dismissed !.
hen the investigation proved his .
Cor. Chicago Herald !.