The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-23
HOW NOT To DO IT.
An Instance of Gross Negligence Whose Rep
etition Should Be Prevented.

TO the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
In these days of quarantine against chol-
era, it may be of interest to know "how
it should not be done" In 1896 an cpl
demic of cholera undertook to march across
the country, but. getting belated, it went
into winter quarters on the plains of west
tern Kansas and awaited the good roads
of the next summer On Aug. l. 1867, a mer-
chant of Kansas City came into Ellsworth,
Kan, from the mountains, that being
the then terminus of the Pacific railroad.
At 4 o'clock In the morning he bought his
ticket for home and waited around the sta
ton fors train. Noticing that the people
did not stir, he asked the agent the cause
and was told the town was almost
~depopulated on account Of the cholera. He
became very much frightened aud went
far out on the prairie. At 8 O'clock he
rushed in and got on the train; at $3.50, half
an hour afterward. / was called by the con-
ductor To take charge Of him. Somebody
had thrown the cushions of a dozen seats
together tor q bed and placed him on IL.
There were oply two other men in the ear.
and they persisted In remaining in it all
day, saying that IF n man wasn't afraid
of cholera he wouldn't tax it," My pa
tiept was suffering from regular Asiatio
cholera; the diarrhea was fearful, and was
soon followed by cramps In the limbs.
When the cramps would come on he would
scream, jump out of bed, rub the calves of
his legs, then his arms, Jump back Into bed,
cover up, then throw the quilts across the
car. and seemingly try TO tie himself into q
knot. / told my two brave mountaineers
that l had heard of people dying
of hydr0phobia. the result of fright,
o disease as this. a man ought to be born
with the courage of q Bonaparte. At
Junction City We stopped for half an hour
with people all around the car and looking
OPIUM and camphor. We came on down
the road, stopping ut all the stations, with
out giving any alarm. At Topeka there
was o ball club ont and a big crowd of
people on the PLATFORM; men, women and
children within O few feet of my poor
patient; at Lawrence it was much the
same way, and at s p. NJ. we rolled into q
crowded station at Kansas City, where we
found the family physician in waiting
with an ambulance. He seemed o little
had landed the patient in the bosom of his
distressed family he died, and the next att
ernoOn his remains were given q public
funeral. The soiled cushions in
the car were put back in the seats
for duty tho next day, and q womau's
darling, becoming tired and sleepy. was
tucked away on one of them, while it's
mother counted the hours that must elapse
before they both would he safely housed
with the loved ones at home. Every rail-
road official and county health officer. from
Ellsworth To Kansas City inclusive, and
every medical man connected with that
case. ought to have suffered q punishment
of sixty days in Jail on bread and water.
1t was simply outrageous. and that was
doubtless only one ont of many such cases.
Such things are possible to-day. and the
public should demaud that the health
officers do their whole duty. When they
are guilty Of culpable careiessness have
them arrested and punished. Let the bat
theory be Remember Hamburg"
T. +. LEIGH, NJ. d.
Ind, Sept. 20.