The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-11
A MATTER OF NERVE.
One Cause OF Many People Falling Vic
Tins to Epidemics.

Tins to Epid mics.
st. Louis Republic
81 am afraid" said a st. Louis cholera
forty-nirer yesterday .'that some of the
newspapers in this and other countries do
not appreciate their responsibility, not only
for the morals and intelligence Of CON-
munity. but likewise for its health. Let me
give you an illustration of the direct effect
of unnecessary sensationalism. Two years
ago business and pleasure called me to New
York and Boston in midsummer. i found
the weather warm in New York. and after
nv business there had been transacted
ran down u Coney Island, took sea bath
and returned in the evening, feeling as fine
as new fiddle. That night | went TO BoS-
ton by q sound steamer, and thought moth
ing of the heat.
Next day i bused myself with the mer-
chants whom desired to interview, walked
many miles in the boiling sun and then
took a steamboat ride on the bay. All this
time / had not seen a newspaper, but was
going along In quiet way, attending to
my own affairs and presuming that the hot
weather was natural and seasonable.
"My business in the East being ended,
started home by way Of Chicago. 1t was
dreadfully warm all along he route, but
sat in my shirt-sleeyes, reading the latest
novel and caring very little about the
weather. / arrived in Chicago one morn
ing just few minutes too late for the ST.
Louis train, and was compelled to remain
in that city all day.
II had an excellent breakfast at the hotel,
took stroll about town, attended to my
sleeping-car berth for the night ride, and
paid a visit TO the depot and arranged for
my tickets and baggage. Then L had light
luncheon.
at was after o'clock when finished m Y
luncheon. and as sat in the rotunda of the
Palmer House it occurred to me that bad
not seen newspaper for several days. So
bought couple of the afternoon editions,
and for the first time discovered that the
thermometer had been standing at 90 de-
gress and 100 degrees all during my trip ;
that men were being sunstruck by the
dozens in New York and Boston, and that
ON the previous day in Chicago there had
been seventy-fve deaths from the heat.
Then followed long list of instructions, a
description OF tho dreadful scenes at the
dispensary and the hospitals. and an appeal
to everybody to stay indoors and keep cool.
"From that moment my pleasure was
gone, and in half an hour had all the symp-
toms OF coup de soleil. | became so dizzy
could neither sit down nor stand up.
saw myself falling prone upon the pave
ment; | could sec the crowds gather, the
police appear, the dispensary wagon drive
up, and myself on hospital cot, stripped
naked and surrounded by ice. a mass of
Quivering flesh in a strange city. Fright
oDtug Was Stlbpiy cChlCu WibulH 1u lHCU
of my life. 4 staggered out of the hotel and
made my way in half-dazed condition to
the Leland. where hoped the lake breezes
would revive me. There / decided that it
was my nerves and not the heat which
afflicted me, and | thought good. big
whisky toddy would set me right again.
But ON top Of that came the warning OF the
newspapers to avoid all iptoxicants as you
would pestilence.
well. to make long story short, passed
three hours in the direst agony / ever expe-
rienced IN my long life, before or since. and
then, In sheer desperation, rushed into the
bar and took drink that made the attend
ants SILVER That ended the sunstroke
From that moment until departed for ST.
Louis was in tranquil mood and could
laugh at my former fright. The newspa-
pers had almost made me victim of the
heat and had literally driven me to drink.
Civilization has refined us until we have be-
come a bundle of quivering nerves on which
the mind acts quickly and at will. And
can sit down now and read the newspaper
accounts Of the cholera and get III within a
few hours. Therefore, be careful how you
play upon the sensibIlities Of the people,"