Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-02
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. 2, 1892
THE APPROACH OF CHOLERA.

THE APPROACH OF CHOLERA.
1t is almost too late in the fall for chole-
ia to become an epidemic in the United
States. 1t will probably not appear in this
country until the opening of next Spring
The government in the meantime is wisely
making it's quarantine regulations more
rigid and enforcing them. India is the
home OF cholera and it is from there it
starts on it's terrible journey. 1t begins
there from the overflow of the Ganges and
finds ready helper in the distress of it's
people. 1t begun in March in this year and
mas taken as it always sh ows the identical
route it took in 1881. On that journey Of
1881 it reached Richmond, Va, in 1882,
and played sad havoc with her population,
killing 900 out Of 5000 people, that being
Richmond's population. Contrary to the
generally received idea, it was as fatal on
the farms, even more so. At it's next visit
to Virginia in 1919, the Negroes on the
plantations in lower Eastern Virginia SUI
fered most. On one farm, Mr.. Shirley Car
ter's, out of 200 Negroes only lao
escaped death. 1t was found impossible.
even though death stared them in the face
to restrict them to any different diet than
they had been used to. 1t was brought to
Bermuda by Russian ship which had chol-
era on board and the Negroes went on board
to trade with them. On both occasions on
which it visited Richmond it madeits first
appearance in the lower part Of the city,
what is called s'the bottom''-lower in two
senses for in that day that locality was in
habited by class of people showing no care
for hygiene and to whose mind an effort to
clean their premises was an insult to them.
Cholera is of atmospheric origin and there
are but three prevenitives diet, cleanliness
of the person and the connuval OF the prem
Uses. These three comply all that has
been done OF that Can be done. There are
preventives that are supposed to answer,
but no physician in the face Of the extraor-
binary proportion of those who die out of
those attacked would like to stake his pro-
fessional reputation on any of the certain y
cholera medicines. In Germany, in France,
in England, where the world has been led
to believe this, the best physicians as a
class, will concede that the disease is Who'll
ly unmanageable. At present the ravages
of the dreaded disease in India and Europe
are prevailing to great extent. In five
days in Hamburg up to last Thursday there
had been 291 cases and seventy-five deaths.
In Berlin within few days 800 cases with
a prOportionate number of deaths have Oc-
CURED. The U. S. government is taking
every precaution through quarantine and
fumigation # both passengers and their bag
gage. They have not commenced minute
too soon. Nor could the City Council Of
Staunton be moment too soon if it had
the back lots of people inspected. ard the
sewerage exits from lots looked after.
Clean streets such as Staunton has, con-
stitute a good deal of protection,
but the condition Of back lots is
even more important. AS far as human
knowledge based on experience can judge
the cholera will he in Virginia next year by
Magician lack lots and alleyways all
through the coming winter would be an
excellent preparation against it.