The morning call., 1892-09-11
Row TO KEEP WELL.

The agitation which has overspread the
country in consequence of the cholera out
break in Europe Will not be altogether
wasted If the mass of the people are edu-
Gated in the fundamental principles of sani
tary science. Whether the epidemic gains
foothold on this con tinen or not, tits always
beneficial for populous communities to under
stand the rules upon which the preservation
Of health depends. A day or two since The
CALL gave circulation to the views of DR..
Virchow, Que of the most eminent physicians
in Germany. We have now the opinion of
Dr. Schwenniuger. who IS Bismarck's family
physician ard a doctor of high reputr.
He regards cholera as a purely fifth dis
ease which can be stamped out or mini
mixed by sanitation. In clean towns, he
says. and places where people are we'll
nourished, the maiady will amount to but
little. II the epidemic comes it will carry
off few persons, or perhaps more in large
towns, but it will not commit ravages. Only
places which are dirty and where no effoft
has been made to ameliorate the condition
Of the poor need be afraid of cholera. At
Hamburg all kinds of refuse and filth are
thrown into the streets and the river and
canals, and there is no system of sewerage.
Large numbers of people live in cellars and
eat fish nearly all the year round. Such a
place invites pestilenee.
DR.. Schwenuiuger does not believe en-
tIrely in the efficacy of guarantees lie
thinks that health boards should combat the
disease as a wise general in retreat cOmbats
the pursuit Of the enemy by stripping the
line of his retreat of everything which can
su stain life When Sheridan last marched
up the Shenandoah Valley he stripped it so
bare of provisions that, in his own words,
crow flying over it would have had to carry
his ratiOns under his wing, and consequently
there were 70 mere Confederate raids down
that valley. What food is to the soldier
filth is to the cholera. 1t must feed on fifth
as 1t advances or its march will be stopped.
If the Russians had cleaned every town
between The valley of the Volga and ST.
Petersburg ana burned every particle Of
termenting matter the disease would never
have become so formidable; and If the Ger
man army had been set TO work to clean
Hamburg on August 20 that beautiful city
would not have been the bowling desert
that it is. What an awful picture OF desc
latIon the correspondent gives who says that
in Hamburg no one goes TO funerals any
more and no one cries for the deadl
was outlined in THE CALL a few days
ago. namely, that the way to kill cholera is
TO appoint an International hygienic CON-
mission. with power to locate the disease
centers and, with the aid OF the local au-
thorilies to isolate them. Such a commits
sion would not depend entirely upon quar-
antine against cholera at the places where
it is not, but would besiege it where it is.
IT, for instance, the nations which are now
threatened by the epidemic had concen-
trated their efforts TO prevent its getting
out OF Hamburg and HavTe and they had
been energetically assisted by the local
authorities. If no vessel had been allowed
to sail and no railroad train allowed to run
out of these places. while simultaneously
their filth centers had been deluged with
disinfecting fluid and their cellars and back
yards subjected to constant fumigation, it
is reasonable to suppose that the spread of
tile disease would have been checked. if not
absolutely arrested.
When a great building takes fire in
business street the first effort of the fremen
is to save the building; but the second and
not less important aim is to prevent the fire
spreading For this purpose sheds and
other combustible structures in the vicinity
which are likely to catch fire are torn down
and their ruins saturated with water and
ire-extnguishing gas. The object of the
fremen is 10 eonfne the confagration to the
building where it broke out. Is not their
example worthy Of consideration by sani-
tsTians?
This German doctor, who seems TO be
man of pretty broad views is not much OF
believer in drugs in cholera cases. He pre-
serlbes hot drinks, as hot as can be swal-
lowed, and in great profusion. and, If the
surface of the body grows cold. steaming
hot bath. The temperature Of the body
cuts conspicuous figure in many diseases.
aud perhaps the last word has not been said
on the subject. ID cholera one of the most
conspicuous symptoms is the loss of bodily
heat, which is so great that in sons eases
the temperature has been known TO rise
after death; if in life the heat Of the body
can be restored there is reason to hope for
recovery. SO DR.. Schwenninger may be as
sound in his views or treatment as he is in
his theory Of prevention.