The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-08
mHAr CHOLERA REALLY Z.
= Ualser Gives BIS Experience and
u ,--oy, ands Standardization.


18TH. Drevalence Of cholera in Western
i I'D - said DR.. Theodore Walser formerly
- health officer Of the port OF New
E6rk. land its gradual progress in Eastern
-. and final advent In the principal
ra-nan and French seaports has induced
peil.bsnsion Of its introduction here.
Rsn- one vessel after another arrived with
HJ.saded disease on board an efficient
VIC .1tina became our only safeguard.
u.s., ;s dome in the health Office and the
Quarantine commissioners depart
n., ia the most interesting news OF the
a. everything concerning cholera, its
rue character, its mode OF propagation ana
.snecially its prevention Is matter OF
nrivste and public concern.
SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.
.As nhvsician in charge OF cholera pa
-. in 1852 on Wards Island, aud later
IeS-sician TO the cholera hospital in quar-
100 from 1S5S-'65 1t has been my lot to
j ..,a1d the greater number OF cases occur
H. in New York during that period. The
,,,sstion. What is choleraP may therefore
5e answered categoTicslly and from long
: s11erience. Il is an acute infectious dis
&c characterized by vomiting, first the
o,,,arts of the stomach, later serum, with
STof,,aa and serious diarrhoea, the discharges
sa.arnhling rice water; shriveled blush ap-
raarance Of the patient, painful muscular
sfDosns loss Of voice and death In a few
hours or days or speedy recovery. Cholera
A. RALLY reverse action of the engine of
lie discharRing into instead OF receiving
Srom the alimentary canal the fluids neces-
sarv for the preservation OF life.
TCbolers is not contagious disease, 30
differing from smallpox, scarletina,
| measles, tYphus fever and even whooplnR
cough. Personal contact will not repro
dnce the disease, and friends and attendants
10 - the POVnrpnOIfv a laFUa
"Cholera Is an infectious disease. The
| Uerm Of the disease is in the excreta OF the
patient. Dr. Koch merits our grateful ac-
knoUledgement for his demonstration of a
Deculisr microbe In these Examinations,
which he considers the reproductive germ
| NJ the disease whenever reaching or intro
| duced into the alimentary canal, and bacte-
riology has not only succeeded in making
cultures Of the germ, but by introducing it
4nto animal life has produced a disease re-
| sembling cholera. IL may be, almost like
doubling the rotation Of the earth to doubt
the discoveries Of the most noted man of
| che age However, from close aud contin-
ued observation for years l am led TO be-
lieve that these bacilli are only as larvae
from which the yet unknown medium is
developed, reproducing the disease germ
with she myriadlc profusion peculiar to the
lowest organization, provided the condi-
tons are favorable for Its development.
Differing from the yellow fever germ,
which is destroyed by frost that Of cholera
4 Is not affected by temperature, season or
climate. 1t has to lie taken into the Intes-
final canal to reproduce the disease. Wher-
ever this unknown and unseen medium ex-
81 lists everything within its limit is perueated
e food aud drink and whatever we touch or
81 come in CONTACT with-and in whatever way
& It'll introduced in the alimeptary canal the
germ reproduces itself with the same IN
erring regularity as the minutest inooula-
ton OF smallpox.
CAUSE OF THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC.
"PAttenkoffer relates a number of in
stances in which cholera appeared In place
after the visit Of a single cholera patient,
aud the ravages Of the disease In the wake
b Of pilgrims, armies and emigranEs is q mat
Ter Of history. In 1854 took 156 cases Of
cholera out Of one sailing vessel which left
its port Of clearance with $50 well rassan-
gers, only a few coming from cholera in
n fected districts. Other vessels from such
districts, with shorter passages. bad only a
few sick at ore time. or all vessels that
left Havre only the few which had passen-
4 gers from certain lodging house had
cholera on board. During the epidemic in
Poland only vessels which brought these
Particular passengers, whether they ar
rived via Havre. Bremen or Liverpool, suf-
lered from cholera.
in 1854 the clothes of cholera patients
we're stored near the general convalescent
shanty, and a number of patients sicksned
with cholera and died. During the present
season refugees and emigrants from Russia
brought the disease to Paris, Hamburg and
Hayre, which they could reach in from five
to six days, and remaining there until new
cases developed they became the cause of
the present epidemic. 1t is only surprising
that Paris did not recognize the true char
acter OF the disease until the infection was
established. and scientific Germany denied
its presence in Hamburg until the disease
numbered its victims by hundreds.
THE SANITARY GORDON.
"Tbe practical question for US is: what
is our home defense against the Introduction
OF choleraP With a sanitary Gordon of
over 1000 miles and sufficient time to de-
Velop the germ into disease, every opportu-
nifty is given to us for effectual and effective
quarantine of the cholera patient, and
thlrtY or forty years have given US advan-
hges OF which we never dreamed. First
and foremost we have a national quar- antine
board with a central bureau at Washington,
daily and hourly advised of the sanitary
condition OF every port of clearance and of
every vessel that cleared that port, and as
70 when and where the vessel is expected
mere. There are no more questionable bills
VI neaIth, no lying reports from the masters
Oh vessels; every health officer is now cor
lecuy informed, and each man on duty ia
under the same rules and regulations from
New Orleans to Portland, forming an effect
ual blockade and sanitary Gordon against
tne Introduction of cholera. Detention at
quarantine Of cholera suspects will supple
Ment whatever is needed in time to show
further development of the disease, and
"len Tree pratique may be granted, since
Vny after certain number OF days from
tus occurrence OF the last case can this be
Done with safety.
however, the quarantine of cholera on
uUaru OF the vessel on which tits brought to
s s' port is more than questionable expe-
ulent. thorough disinfection of the vessel
slmposslbie while the passengers remain on
noard, and If not already shown, experience
viii teach US that the well passengers are
exposed to the disease while they remain on
Uated.
SANDY HOOK SHOULD BE TAKEN.
a, During my time OF service at quarantine
tle passengers were Immediately disem-
"a Tsrked and examined at least twice day.
i Iue SICK were removed to the hospital and in
.ssS IMAM week no further case occurred and
aauque could be granted without possible
S9auSer to the community. The vessels,
ssr thorough fumigation and cleaning
NeEb allowed tn