The Russellville Democrat., 1892-09-22

The all absorbing topic now is cholera.
Cholera is q disease that comes on with
diarrhea, an intense burning IN the
stomach. and thirst that fluids will
not satisfy, eFamping III the muscles and
in the bowels the blood does not pursue
its regular cycle. the surface becomes
purple and cold and death every i'm
stance closes the scene. Where the nee
essary conditions for It's propagation ex-
ist, the community, will Tote its popu-
lation with greater rapidity than all
other plaques combined. III the disease
be 50 fearful in its consequences. and
there be the least probability Of its com
ing to our midst, it behooyes every one
Of us TO cast about for means of escape
We read Of La grippe uutil we regarded
it a big ;bugaboo, but 1t finally settled
down upon rs, even before the doctors
had time to know what the disease look
cd like. and we ought as far as possible
90 by the rules as laid down by those
duty it has been to stay in the front and
investigate this matter. There is two
WAYS for us to do, keep it from coming
If possible, and run if 1t does come. The
most important is to keepit from COM
ing, and the question that naturally
arises how shall this be done. To pre-
vent the spread Of disease, find out its
cause and remove it, and as the source
of cholera is not thoroughly understood
we should adopt the safest line possible.
One lot of investigators claim the dis
ease to be severe form of malaria, and
where malaria exist in sufficient veri-
lence, you will have cholera, yellow few
er, etc. In other words the manifesto
ton Of malaria will be from the mildest
such as the aching in the bones to mild
intermittent fever, to malarial heaturia,
and congestive chills on up the scale to
yellow fever and cholera. The other
class Of Investigators claim that cholera
always originates in Asia, and follows
the main line of travel, but will not pre-
vail anywhere unless that town is in an
unsanitary condition. This being the
case an ideal country, one in thorough
state of cleanliness would not have chole-
ra. 1t appears from the history of the
epedemies of cholera and yellow fever
that they do not infest places where ma
laria cannot be produced. The elements
that produce malaria are decomposing
vegetable matter of any kind, moisture
and hot sunshine. The absence of any
of these three elements and malaria does
not develop. Now it appears from the
best information that il Is possibly the
case that place must first be infected
by an imported case then the disease
will prevail if the conditions are proper
for its future development. Now grant
ing that it will spontaneously generate,
or that it will reproduce after infection,
the condition that eonfronts us is the
same as regards our own safety. The
first effort of towns guardians should
be to remove every particle of decom-
posed or decomposing vegetable matter
from around us. see that pools of water
is not left to evaperate, for the earth it
self where washes have formed is large
ly composed of vegetable matter, but
where they have been allowed to thor
oughly dry, their decomposition stops,
and they become most inocuous, priv
les as they are ordinarily kept, are dis
agreeable from their odor but this
danger comes from injecting the earth
and thereby gaining admission into our
drinking water, producing typhoid and
kindred fevers, and all kinds of intestin-
al worms. This evil should be correct
ed, but the most important is the thor
ough cleansing of the entire community.
Ii is duty Of those with mussel to assist,
and those with means should use their
means with some judgement in this mat
ter that they do in other transactions of
business. There is no significant dan
er of cholera coming to our midst, be-
cause it could not find the elements here
for its generation granting either theory
to be correct, but decisive action viii
not be wasted in putting this Alright,
and not only sustain our present reputa-
ton for good health, but elevate it. In
large cities they have mouldy house
foundations and every imaginable form
of rotten wood and this year the heat of
the sun has been fearful as show by the
great number of deaths and sunstroke,
but we have not had this condition here
hence we are not in so eminent danger
as they, and only as a matter of expedi-
ency is it necessary for us to exercise
ourselves about the matter and for pur-
pose of freeing ourselves from other
troubles above enumerated
Very truly,
j. A. WEsTERFIELD.