The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-11-16
AN ALLY OF CHOLERA.


Liable to the Dread ScOurge.
The danger of cholera for the pres
emit year has passed away, but the Lon
don Times sounds note of warning
for 1893. 1t cites many facts 10 show
that. in spite of an apparent decrease
in the number of victims in Europe
just now, the disease is really getting
tirmer hold, and its germs are more and
more widely disseminated, to spring ~
to virulent activity with the advent Of
warm weather next spring. If this be
so-and we fear that it is-then we
can hardly hope that the pestilence
shall be kept from our shores. 1t evad-
ed the strict quarantine in New York
bay, and few cases appeared in the
city. 1t is hardly possible that it can
be held at bay for the whole summer,
if it breaks out in Europe in the
spring.
In view of the strong probability
that the United States will suffer from
cholera epidemic next year, we wish
to call public attention TO the proved
fact that Intoxicating drinks are the
strongest ally of that scourge. A Rus.
sian authority mentions it as remarka-
bic that persons given to drinking
have been swept away like flies. In
Tifis, containing 10000 inhabitants,
every drunkard has fallen-all are
dead-not one remains" In Glasgow,
in 1S49, liquor dealer declared that
cholera carried off one-half his best
customers, and it was observed that
after every public occasion, on which
the populace always drinks, the NOR.
| tally lists were swelled at once. DR..
Carpenter, leading hospital physician
of that city, wrote:
| "In both epidemics which have visited this
country a very large proportion-estimated by
! some physicians at hyesiXths- of the individ-
uals attacked by ii, In whom the liability to
disease could not be attributed 10 the foul con-
dition of the locality IN which they resided, are
known to have derived their predisposition to
| it from habitual intenperance, and the rate OF
mortality among those attacked bore con-
| slant proportion to their previous abuse OF al.
| coholiC liquors"
When cholera was epidemic in Mon
treal, a physician gave this testimony:
"The disease has searched out the haunt Of
the drunkard, and has seldom left it without
| bearing away its victim. Even moderate
drinkers have been but little better of. Ardent
spirits, N all shapes and in all quantities, have
been highly detrimental"
A Montreal paper made this comment
after 1900 deaths had occurred in that
city:
"Not n drunkard who has been attacked has
recovered from the disease, and almost all the
| victims have been at least moderate drinkers"
| In 1892 tive-sixths of those who per-
| ished from the cholera epidemic of that
year in Great Britain were Incorporate.
In some villages, every drunkard died,
while no total abstainer lost his life.
In the same year at hospital in New
York, out of 204 patients only six were
non-drinkers. They all recovered, while
l22 of the others died. During the last
cholera epidemic in New Orleans, only
three deaths occurred among members
of the Sons of Temperance. The death
rate of the city was Is per thousand Of
population, while in that order the
rate was only in 4d0-about one-sixth
the average death rate. Of the epi-
| utlhiC III NcN IOIh Clly, "a wv
tor wrote that had not it been for the
sale and use of spirits there had not
been cholera enough in the city to
have caused the cessation of business
for single day"
These instances might be multiplied
until they would fill column after coll
umn. The proof is clear that the drink
habit enormously increases the danger
of infection by cholera and of fatal
termination of the case. In view of
the probability of the advent of the
pestilence next year, this fact cannot
be given too wide publicity. The time
| to beg N preventive measures on this
line is now. Temperance means per-
sonal safety in the midst of cholera
plague. If every drinking man in the
United States could have this fact i'm
pressed upon him, the common sense of
the vast mass of the community would
deal one of the hardest blows ever
given to pulverize the rum power
Toledo Blade.