Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-15
an 49, o. CHOLERA.

intoxica tirg Drink. Render oie More
Liable to- the Dread scourEe.
The DANGER of cholera for the pres
eni year lrs passed away, but the Lon
Ion Times sounds note of warning
Tor 1895 it cites many facts TO show
that, IN spite Of an apparent decrease
in the y bomber of victims ii Europe
1 JUS. now, the disease is really getting a
firmer hold, and its germs are more ard
more widely disseminated. to spring in
10 7irulcnt .,ctivitv with The advent of
warm weather next sprins. II this be
so -and we fear that it is-then we
can hardly hope that the pestilenee
shall be kept from our shores. IL 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 il freaks out in Europe in the
spring
| In view of the strong probability
that the United States will suffer from
cho,era epidemic next year, we wish
10 call public attention TO the proved
fact that Intoxicating drinks are the
strongest ally of that scourge. A Rus
sian authority mentions it as remarSa-
Bile that persons given to drinking
have been swept away like flies. In
1ihis. containing 10000 inhabitants,
every drunkard has fallen-all are
dead-not one remains In Glasgow,
in is49, a liquor dealer declared that
cholera carried off one-half his best
customers. and il was observed that
after every public occasion, on which
the populace always drinks. the NOR
tally lists were swelled at once. DIR.
Carpenter, leading hospital physician
of that city. wrote:
In both epidemics which have visited this
country very large proportion-es timated by
some physicians at hve-sxths-of the mdiyid-
uals attacked by it, in whom the liability to
disease could not be attributed 10 the foul con-
diton Of the locality in which they resided, are
known 10 have derived their predispOsition to
II from habiiual inteinperance, and the rate OF
mortality among those attacked bore con
slant proportion 70 their previous abuse OF al
coholic liquors
When cholera was epidemic in Mon
treal physician gave this testimony:
"The disease has searched out the haunt Of
the drunlard and has seldom left Il without
bearing away It's victim Even moderate
drinkers have been but little better on. Ardent
spirits, In an shapes ana in all quantities have
been highly detrimental Z"
Montreal paper made this comment
after 200 deaths had occurred in that
city:
Not drunkard who has been attacked has
recovered from The disease. and almost an the
victims have been at least moderate drinkers
In 1882, five-sixths of those who per-
sued 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, ont of e04 patients only six were
non-drinhers. They all recovered. while
1872 of the others died. During the last
cholera epidemic in New Orleans, only
three deaths occurred among members
Of the sons OF Temperance. The dealt.
rate of the city was 10 per thousand Of
population. while in that order the
rate was only in 400-about one-sixth
the average death rate. OF the cpl
demic in New York city, leading doc
tor wrote that had not il been for the
sale and use of spirits there had not
been cholera enough in the city tc
have caused the cessation of business
FOR single day"
These instances might be multiplied
until they would fiji column after col
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 begin preventive measures on this |
line is now. Temperance means per.
sonal safety in the midst Of a cholera
plague, If every drinking man in the |
United States could have this fact inn
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.