Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-20
NOT AT ALL ASIATIC.
Such is the Verdict Of Southside
Doctors on a Cholera Scare.
LESS CHOLERA MORBUS IS MOTEL
How Potatoes Dosed With Paris Green
Bring Gripes on Children.
EXCEEDINGLY NOVEL CAUSE OF PAIN

There may be indications of an epidemic
Of Asiatic cholera in other parts Of the
country-and if SO. the intelligence has
been retained well within the limits of those
said parts-but there are none. so far as can
be discovered. on the Southside. or, for that
matter, on any other side of Pittsburg.
According to one physician there are even
fewer cases of cholera morbus on the South
side than there were last season, or that
previous, and, though a few cases have oc-
Cured of a virulent nature, the conditions
of the malady are on q par with those Of
| past seasons.
From the statement of another physician,
as appears below, it would seem that pro-
portion of the mortality among children,
attributed to cholera infantum, might be
traced to no less a cause than too liberal
use of the succulent potato. Be this as it
may, there remains but little cause for doubt
that farmers would benefit by substituting
some other means Of destroying the potato
bugs than by the use of paris green.
DR.. I. w. Riggs, of South Fifteenth street,
physician of 20 years residence. was asked
last night il there was any cause for appre-
hension of an outbreak of cholera. He said;
II there is any scare on account of aspossible
outbreak, L for one. know nothing about 1t,
and neither do see from what source such q
report could spring. If anything. there are
NOT so MANY CASES
of cholera morbus this summer as there were
last year or the year before, and really no ap-
prehension need be felt on the score of an
epidemic setting in. for there is nothing to
warrant such calamity visiting us now more
than at any other time. A very great deal of
injury is caused persons suffering from ordinary
disease, or who are otherwise in debilitated
condition. by circulating such reports, and not
alone is their recovery retarded. but in not
few cases are patients fatally affected by the
mere dread of becoming victims Of such a
dreaded disease as cholera. 1t is the old con-
hict of mind over matter, and it is
very well understood how many people
succumb to an attack through sheer fright
or inability to withstand a shock to the nervous
system. The river water is not any worse, In
point of containing impurities. than it was
two years ago at the time of the typhoid out
break. At that time the river was very much
lower than at present, and l remember that
water drawn from q hydrant and allowed to
stand for five minutes In q bucket gave forth
very offensive odor when taken in the hand
and smelled. havenct yet heard of q severe
case OF cholera morbus, excepting in the case
of one old man who was over 20 and who died
in a few hours. Cases Of cholera infantum are
there is neither an epidemic prevalent nor
anything to indicate that we are threatened
with one.
DR.. E. A. Mundorff, when spoken to con-
cerning the prevalence of cholera morbus,
said:
cholera morbus within my knowledge, but they
are OF the usual type and not Of a nature to
cause fear of an epidemic of cholera breaking
springing up in our midst unless, indeed, it
were to originate on the other side, when it
would soon appear here by leaps and bounds
@ through b WIN which % L p could q sasD % aS@itsanss, %
thing it would be
DIFFICULT TO GUARD AGAINST.
What concerns the community most vitality
at present is the conition Of the drinking
water-a condition which is growing worse
with every increase Of the population on the
Southside. This is due to the crowded manner
in which The houses are built, the character Of
the ground on which large number IF them
are erected, and the exceedingly inadequate
sanitary arrangements The ground is all
made ground and very porous, so that very
great deal of water finds its way into the river
from the pools and wells, carried bodily |
through the porous earth, instead Of undergo |
ing any process of filtration or losing any of its
poisonous nature by the way. This state of |
affairs will not be remedied until violent epi- |
demic does in reality break out, and then due |
attention will be given to subject of such |
terribly vital Importance as that of the water |
supply.
dortf, that have discovered that there isa |
certain element of risk iu eating new pota- |
toes, and, in fact, since I made certain in
vestigations in connection with them, / |
have given up using them altogether, as
we'll as have my family"
Pressed to explain his reasons for a course
seemingly SO remarkable, the Doctor con-
tinued:
Well. I don't mind telling you the facts.
sudden illness in others and put them on their
guard for the future. My attention was drawn
In a very unpleasant manner to that very COM
table with other members of my family. With
out any apparent cause my father rose, and,
retiring to his room, became afflicted with
A SEVERE NAUSEA.
I treated the matter very lightly until an
other member of the family became intensely
affected in similar manner, and very shortly |
found it necessary to beat hasty retreat my
self to the kitchen. where vomited most
freely. The effect Of the attack did not last
more than half an hour when we were all right
again. The symptoms were those of mineral
poisoning. and Immediately began to investi-
gate. The result of my researches brought
home the cause to the new potatoes, winch,
found were unmistakably impregnated with
paris green. The fact Of the matter
was that the farmers had sprnkled the Young
plants with this poison to kill of the bugs and
the heavy rain of few weeks back had carried
the paris green through the soaked ground,
where it had penetrated the potatoes. called
ON a lady on whom attended the other day,
and when she told me she had been vomiting
asked her If she had eaten potatoes. She con-
fessed that she had, and said that at the time
she attributed the disorder to them. con-
slider that though the quantity Of poison in a
meal Of potatoes need not be sufficientt TO seri-
ously injure grown person. yet in the case of
young children the consequences might be
more severe. In fact, have taken the precau-
tion to warn some of my patients against the
danger of feeding their children too plentifully
on this article of food, and / am not SO sure
that good many of the deaths attributed to