New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-07
ASIATIC CHOLERA.
AN IMPORTANT MEDICAL WORK.

aSsoc.acn With Drs john G. Peers, Ely M@lei sx1
I pn A0 "a NnwYorS William Wood a Company
This is q timely publication OF what Is ce'
..;,,v IN. most. recent and possibly the most
comnlete American work on Asiauc c"'''i"
=, ,horo 20 IN absolute necessity for the exercise
% ,b. oreotest vigilance TO prevent the entrance
"a s,rood Of This dread disease III our se'poaIu
.;,;.s III. information which is contained /" .''i'
-, :. % very great importance AT tiiis 'i"e
- tho medical profession and TO 'he eonei",
.,vhl,o II is n work Of considerable pre'ensio"',
.'.1..on in a thoroughly scientific spirit ana
oorrrebensiye in scope. Most oil 'he ""''7'''
n,odorn theories respecting the causes anu
s.road If this terrible scourge are lumihousN
discussed and nearly all the known lac's na'e
Ion collated with painstaklng care. i"e
.horters relating to former vsi'ations OF choie'a
in this country are filed with lniorma'ioh ""i'"
l. 81 pressing interest at this time
~. volume contains series Of Introductory
cbapters upon the general history OF me nr":
ond ., the principal epidemics up to 1888. ms
norton of the work is contributed ny ~
Peters. and is exceptionally well done
7. - sunnlcmcnted by an account furnished pS
nr Mcclellan Of the history of epidemic cholc''
o. !. has affected the United States Army linen
tol,ou q series Of chapters by DR.. Wendt on ,ne
..,o1oox ~ cholera. with discussion OF all "o
Io.d;ng theories of the disease, and summary
=, Dr Koch's doctrine and recent inves'lsa'ions
Nd controversies He takes the GROUND '""O
wbetber the doctrine of the parasitic orisin
occonted or rejected it is necessary 10 ie'oe
c.r.ain secondary causes as favorape 10 '''e
hrcak and dissemination OF lhe
u,bo,o history shows it to be emphaucaiiS
disea., spread by human intercourse ~.
tive mortality is not more excessive o ,..a.a
moor and shiftless than that OF o.hoi -:
s.,roa nv unhycienic living and the we"Ao"H
.r.c+s NJ insufficient or improper 1000 anu 81
40 70 If greater Importance than sex. III Ing
land the greatest fatality has occurred "'
nm. year and over fifty-hve. Inc haoillS "
tract the disease appears to be gTea'eoV w..
tbs ages of fifteen and forty, ana 'he iei":.' ,
n,ortal,tv is slightest for about the sa'ie peiiO
Dccup""oN s;soaa. Previous health Of in
n,,.;ana,s Influences mortality of actual attack
more decidedly than liability 10 contract
a certain amount of heat high atmosphere
=. ..ooe,,ro ond moderate humidity appear to 1aN0l
a. aisease. Polluted water, even wheh NV
sis.ot,r contaminated by specific bacill' may
nrcdispose to the acquisition OF the uis."''
ranou,irc conclusions are clearly stated:
Mic ~ the extremely conflicting statements ~o %,
,d IN the different theories regarding te ~, con
cholera. lis hnlS that the following points
t he regarded as proved to be suo III
welkn vi xrhere alone IT is now endemic IL j. ,
90 This country and indeed 10 al V'i Hrron inter.
t,UHs" It's ACQUISITION includes the POSSIBILITY IN IN ,cr
rect individual conagon bat moe pnscIdc cause of
uon p' an organized body capable OF raPo In.ri
son bo,h within and without the human Sisasc is
Certain an.S.ls may take Gholer.; anu INV
exnarimentay communicable 10 thti' ovo In a given
While cholera does not orsin' c,tan rene,al local
locanH; ian, conditions that favor both It's o.D Am
"a "a its dissemination. The cho!erlc Nu, no-,on
with greaest intensity s1 I Direct personal conagOn
though not impossible, T. a i"' Ia nv fomtes.
The imervening agency of ,peac olgan1I Is Water
snrv even FOR what we call dire eon.r. are very
ehanns c sug4 as and dsgemnato the INJECTING
sT Is 6 only o Sqei for S diaSee
Inc truth Of the above propositions san mosSbes
said In the opinion Of the eo,aE I" choer. is
are v the entrance into The intetnrs 4f Koch
minute organisms, first accurately Thc writer has
purposeiy RETAINED from placing ft above stated
In the category WIN the ,ne edors views on the
ransat,on of Asatic cholera II appears ma All
logical knpvledss not , a. Il ,%S be Construed
cn,oach 10 medical science II apples WIZ, ' TnSr
force TO etioogy OF other mSoo eeciencv Of what
FAR from known We should endesvor to turn
10 the hest practical account d,,cnu u forward. until
a nay NnaIv he I'm possession Of the fun ruin w.
carding the intimate nature Oh 'ii' "0
pcstilencos - -, .ho
Dr Wcndt supplements his discussion OF the
,+;olocv If cholera with chapters on the symptoms
coursa duration, mortality ana complca'lons
~ tho disease These are followed by technical
cbopters on morbid anatomy, pathological HIS
+ologv and kindred subjects. The preNeh'loH VI
cholera is the title of an important DIVISION Vi
the work, including contributions from "
SternberQ. DR. John B. Hamilton ana IT.
Mcclellan. The following extract from TIC
chapter dealing with the responsibility OF natiohs
is timely reading;
Modern views to the prevention OF iie nsrrtic
lar arr governed by the belief that the lmeclloae
matter of such diseases !. a ma'erat % 81 fbe
poison. with the weight OF cVo'ilce ~ ,,nc or
opinion that the materies morbi Is nTIhS INN. ,o,n
organism capable If being Transported III 1ei,"in
sriices which FOR convenience sake we term ioiltS.
The exclusion u these organisms, upon thc on. n
tasis of the principle Of home quarantine anu ",
Infection | shall proceed TO discuss lu' hct' ue
NJ performing this service IN detail. but BEFORE dons
"a ~, me re 10 "A broader topc-tat Of arrcSting
cholera al lie endemic centre which Is the c,Sehtc
OF prevention. A national GOV Inmsnt derlNIh nS
iusi npwers from the consent Of the governed during
lis existence as Il government, mast assume certain
rss2Insi nnd prcniry welfare Of the people
government must. under the natural limitations on
human rights. take thH proper ana necessary measures
70 protect its subjects against pcsuencs or ialhihe
by Such wise and prudent acts as the hecesslues n'
would subject such "a government in the eyes OF all
civilized peoples TO just condemnation. ana as the
safety Of nations makes them mutually intefdcpcidct
whether they will IL not, 80 the safety OF pttcu
lar nation is dependent upon tie physical Integrity
OF it, several municipalities, rs well a. upon tlie
physical integrity Of its ncighD0r>.
This responsibility must be conceded BY The political
economist and the governing motive thtn becomes a
ouestion Of the relative weight Of responsibilities which
apparently conflict Thus 4 are dcbared from
commercial intercourse by Of our fear Of the i'm
pOfaton OF a contagious disease, that deprivation NAV
result in famine Of greater or les degree aud TINS us
here stated in extreme terms, furnishes the Key to the
rcason OF the great and apparent irreconclabe dii
ferenccs opinion to the maintenance Of puaran
tine Modern nations have taciuy recognized the'e
RESPONSIBILITIES and cndeavOred to meet them by IN
ternatonal Conferences rarely however with any view
~ mutual concession Al each conference" thus far
held the commercial phase OF the question has al
,hough purposey kept in the background seemed to
be paramount: and although there has been sub
IL