Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-28
CHOLERA IN RUSSIA.
Consul General Crawford Makes an Inter-
!. estinG Report ON Its Treatment.

Consul General Crawford Makes an Inter-
/ esting Report on Its Treatment.
highly important and interesting report on
the treatment and prevention of cholera in Rus
sia has just been made to the Department Of
state By Consul General Crawford at ST. Peters
burg Gen. Crawford reviews at some length
the progress OF cholera in Russia. which. of
course, is well known to the readers OF THE
STAR. He then refers TO the treatment Of the
plague and dwells at some length upon the sue
cess obtained by an American physician with a
new mode Of treatment. In the course of his
report Gen. Crawford says:
~ NAV add that. based upon observation. ex-
perience and practical tests in the present
epidemic, the medical authorities of the highest
standing in Russia now affirm that disinfection.
80 generally understood and practiced. is of
little or no practical value, excepting such dis
infection as properly comes in the domain of
thorough cleanliness. These medical authorities
declare that the system of trying TO kill the
bacteria OF cholera by any form Of chemical
di-infection IL Of little or no avail. IL may be
interesting to note that the experts in cholera
in Russia look upon the number of flies in a
house or locality as indicating the amount of
danger from uncleaniiness in an epidemic of
cholera. Flies have been found to be infected
with choieTaic bacteria and. therefore. are be-
lieved TO be prominent agents in the spread of
the disease. 1t is the opinion Of the medical
experts who have studied cholera in Russia
that boiled drinks and thoroughly cooked foods
are safeguard against cholera. Thorough
cleanliness. thoroughly boiled drinks and thor
ouShly cooked food stutfs may be regarded as
the present motto of the sanitary and medical
commission Of Russia.
HOW CHOLERA Is TREATED.
The medical treatment of cholera in Russia
in general j. essentially the same that prac-
ticed in st. Petersburg. The basic idea of this
treatment is 20 assist far possible that organ
or junction which Is most seriously affected by
the disease. The especial feature OF this treat
Elent consists in the subcuteneous injection of
salt water. following the method of the Italian
physician taTtani. Another measure is the in
PRODUCTION OF a solution OF tannic acid, properly
diluted. into the bowels direct.
The essential features of the treatment of
cholera as practiced In Russia in the present
epidemic may be summarized az follows: ID
Hot water and hot-air baths: 90 subcutanecus
injections into the abdominal wall of / liter Of
a one-half of l per cent solution Of common
salt: (3 injection into the lower bowel of tannic
acid and opium; { ~ hypodermic injection OF
diEretiJ for inactive kidneys; 90 internal ad
ministra;ion OF salol, bisruuth. betauapthol,
opium. cocaine and castor oil. as respectively
indicated; 90 hyPodernIic injections of NOR
phine.
Another very important conclusion OF the
BakoO Investigations is that in order to con-
tract Aslatlc cholera one must, SO to speak.
either eat it or drink it,: that is to say. the
cholera poison. be it the comma bacillus
otherwise. must be taken into the stomach in
its active state in food or i'll drink. A still mere
important result OF those Investigations il that
cooking the food and boiling the drink render
the cholera poison 1nnocuous. II these conclu-
siOns are sound we have certain safeguard
against an epidemic of cholera.
TREATMENT OF CuOI ERA ny rpRIn.Troy
1.-The method of treating cholera patients by
irrigation Of the intestinal canal was introduced
at the Obuchoff Hospital in this city September
8, 1892. by Elmer Lee, who came here properly
fortified with testimonials for the express pur-
pose of obtaining permission to treat q number
OF cholera patients by this method. By
way of introduction. / NAV say that DR.. Lee is
resident physician of the Palmer House Chi
cage. He is fellow of the American Academy
o. Medicine, member of the American Medical
Association, and was a member of the commit
tee of revision of the United States Pharmaco-
p0sia III 1890. On arriving at st. Petersburg he
was Mt once put in communication with the
medical corps Of the cholera hospital. to whom
he stated the object OF his visit and explained
III detail his methods OF cholera treatment. He
gave the results OF his experience in Chicago
in the treatment of enterocGlitis by the irriga-
ton method. As cholera is also an enterocce-
ltis and as tine method proposed BIZ him seemed
decided by the hospital corps to give
DR.. Lee a fair trial. He was accordingly gwen
one case, which was admitted TO be grave. This
case was promptly treated, but with imperfect
apparatus. ard on the second or third dav was
conyaiescent He was then given two other
cases. and they recovered. He was then given
four. and sooner or later be had treated in all
tv.enty-seven cases personally, twenty-four of
which recovered. showing n mortality of only
II per cent | have personally visited these
patients ut the Obuchof Hospital and have
made clinical notes in reference to them have
talked with several physicians of the hospital
staff and have received from them only words
of the highest praise over the results obtained.
The treatment of cholera by irrigation is
based upon the general belef-and this belief
has been intensified by the experiments of Dr.
Backstein, mentioned in this report-that
cholera is the result of some form of poison
be IL bacteria or otherwise. which acts on the
tissues of the colon and sooner or later poisons
the system This treatment is accordingly very
simple and consists in washing out the bowels.
and a. high up as possible with some cleansing
and dIrinfecting liquid that is not harmful.
The experiments of DIR. Lee, which have been
confirmed BY Dr.. Blackstein in his special work
at Bakoo. go to show that strong CASTLE soap
suds is one of the most effective fluids for this
purpose"