The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-15
Another Case on the Scandia-Dr. Jenkins's
View of the Siiuation-The NOrmannia's
PASSENGERS to Be Released Soon.


The Plague Obtains . Firm Foothold I'm
New York-Five Deaths
New YORK, Sept. 4.-The AsiatIc plague
has obtained foothold in this city. Five
deaths from the disease have occurred. the
first on Sept and the others on the 10th.
l1th and 18th. such was the report made
By the health officers to-day. after having
made thorough Investigations of all the
cases. The names of those who died from
cholera are: Charles McAvoy, Sept 6;
Mrs. Sophia Wlgmann, Sept. 10; William
Wigmann. husband of Sophia Wigmann,
Sept II; Minnie LevinRer, child, Sept. IL;
Charlotte Beck. Sept 13.
Now that cholera has developed among
the wellers in this city, each man may ask
his neighbor. well. what of it7 The spirit
of the question would show no more than
that the speaker had himself mastered the
elemen tary truths touching this disease.
which have been SO carefully iterated anc
reiterated by the responsible portion of the
press during man5 days past. The question
would indicate that the speaker fully un-
derstood that the cholera Is neither con-
tagious nor infectious within the COM
mon meanings attached to those words. In
this sense. it Is, to use the language of
Professor VIrchow. less dangerous thnn
diphthsria. This expression implies no
over-eoafidence. It lies within each in
dividuaps power to assure his own personal
safety almost beyond peradventure. He
has but to drink no water and milk, except
such as have been thoroug ghly boiled and
to eat no food that has not been thoroughly
and freshly cooked he will abstain from
butter and cheese, and may then possess
mis- soul in serenity. Cholera Will pass him
by.
Ever since the Moravia arrived in port,
as the harbinger of this dreaded plague,
State and local officials have been straining
every nerve to prevent its gaining q foot
holc in this city and being spread by vari.
ous channels to the country at large. The
health officials have been strict. even to
severity; but. while, all were looking sea-
ward. and while preparations were made
to repel an advance from acroes the water,
it has quietly made its presence felt
in our midst, and the five mentioned
to-day mark its advent. How did it get inf
is the question on every ones lips. The
health officers faces wore puzzled express
sions when asked to solve the problem.
Disinfectants have been used with lavish
hand, both at quarantine and in the city;
baggage has been disinfected; passen gers
have been detained even on healthy ships,
and In the city stringent rules of cleanli-
ness have been laid down and acted upon.
INSTRUCTIONS TO HEALTH OFFICERS.
The houses of the dead are not under
quarantine in the sense of being shut mp,
or of it's tenants being prohibited to 60 and
come when and whore they please But
none goes or comes without the knowledge
of the doctor on duty. The medical
sentinel never loses sight, for many hours
at a time, of his charges. HIS instructions
are most minute. and his duties in q tene-
ment full of people most arduous He is to
register, in the first place, under orders of
his superior, the name end age OF every
person in the house. what they work
at and where; If they 90 out
of the house he is to keep
the sharpest kind Of lookout for the first
symptom of diarrheal trouble, and upon
it's appearance put the patient to bed. keep
HIM there and prescribe for him while hur-
ryinR word around to the Health Board
office. The closets In the house or in the
yard are 10 be his especial care. The dis
injecting corps will be on the 60 from house
TO house all day, and he Is to dirsst their
operations. All closets in tho yard where
q case of cholera has occurred must be dis
infected twice daily. The doctor must
search every room In tho house every
order, that no refuse. garbage or other ofial
aoeumulates. and that the bedrooms are
properly ventilated. The personal cleanli-
ness of every tenant is the special care of
the sentinel doctorA He must see to it
that none of them, not even the smallest
child. sits down TO his or her meal without
first washing their hands with soap and
cleaning the nails as we'll 1t is through
the mouth that the germ Of tho contagion