The morning call., 1892-09-16
THE CHOLERA IN NEW YORK.

II is now a question Of hours rather than
| days whether the cholera has or has not
broken through the quarantine at New
York. If it has we shall hear of the spread
Of the disease in short order. If we do not
hear that il has spread it will be safe to set
down the so-called cholera eases as sporadic,
perhaps due to fright. That the Health
Board is in doubt is evident from the delay
which elapsed between the deaths and their
announcement. Charles McEyOy died on
the 9th, Sophia Wigman on 10th, her hus-
band William on 11th, Minnie Levnger on
1Ith, Callahan on 18th, Charlotte Beck on
18th; but it was not till the 14th that the
Health Board announced that these were
all cases of cholera. They were evidently
at first uncertain, and their uncertainty was
probably increased by the fact that not one
of the deceased had been passenger on
the infected vessels or is known to have had
any communication with any one who had
been a passenger. One OF the dead men
was a butchers apprentice; the quaran-
tined ships were supplied with beef fIom
the city; hence it was hastily inferred that
the butcher took the cholera from supply
ing the infected ships. But II is not stated
that the man had ever supplied any beef
or that any had been supplied from the shop
where he worked,
1t must always be remembered that it
takes microscopic investigation to Gistin-
guish a case of cholerine from q case Of
cholera. The symptoms are Identical 10 both
cases. 1t is only by discovering the true
cholera bacillus in the corpse or the
excreta OF the patient that the physi-
clan pronounces the case to be one
Of genuine Asiatic cholera. In cases OF
cholerine all the symptoms are milder than
in cases of cholera, but it often results in
death. The main distinction between the
two diseases is that one is epidemic and
does not prevail except where it sweeps
over regions as a temper srY devastation,
while the other is endemic and prevails
constantly in places where the conditions
favor its development Neither New York
nor any great city, with large tenement
houses inhabited by swarms of people who
are Indifferent to the laws of hygiene, is
ever wholly free from cholerine. Hardly a
year passes that some eXtra-eonscient.ous
physician does not aseribe a case of death
TO cholera, when in fact the disease does not
exist in the place at the time.
There is disposition in New York TO
find fault with the Health Board and the
Health Officer. This is an unavoid-
able incident of epidemicS, and takes
shape differently according to the de-
gree of civilization prevailing at the
seat of the epidemic. In Russia the
peasants burned the cholera hospitals in
Spain, in 1886. the mobs threatened the doc
tors lives; in New York the newspapers
rail at Jenkins and his allies. There may
be good reason for their censure. If the
Health Officers habits are bad, il he has
been negligent Of his duty, il his judgment
has been at fault, there is power enough In
the New \ ork Executive to remove him:
but Governor Flower will not be moved to
preeipitate action by panic-strieken COM
munity or by the com plants of people who
have been detained against their will in
quarantine. The crisis is serious and will
have 10 he dealt with considerably as well
as vigorously. At this stage personal re-
examinations will merely aggravate the diff
culties with which the authorities have 10
contend.
1u the battle which is being fought $500
miles to the east OF US our interest on this
coast is direct if not immediate. IL cholera
gets foothold in New York, we may ex-
peet il here-perbaps not this fall, but pos
| sibly next spring. We cannot too soon,
however, begin to barricade. The action Of
the Health Board at Sacramento is wise and
timely. That body should study the occur
rences which are taking place at New York,
and lay its plans in accordance with the ex-
perience Of health officers there.