The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-09-22
NEW YORK IS INFECTED
SIX DEATHS FROM CHOLERA IN
GOTHAM.
First Case Discovered Two Weeks Ago
Health Officials Profess Surprise and
Claim That the Pest Did Not Pass Quar-.
antine-Ohiclal Announcement.
No Doubt Now.


No Doubt Now.
1t has developed that, despite tho
stringent quarantine, the heroic efforts
Of the National and State Governments
and the Oft repeated declarations of tho
Beard of Health to the contrary, tho
much-drcadfd plague has found foot
hold in New York City. and has already
many victims. Not only did it develop
that the cholera hal effected Il landing,
but that the Ian ling was effected at
least two weeks ago, the fat having
been kept from the public. That tho
fact was made public was due to an
accident slip of the tongue of an at
tache of the health office, while notify
ing his SUpcrjorS of the discovery of Il
new case.
Daily representatives of the press
have asked the officers of the Board Of
Health if the disease had showed any
signs of breaking out in the city, and
even UP TO the morning of the above re-
ported discovery were answered in the
negative. When pressed, however, and
presented with evidence that their
secret was Il secrc; no longer, they re-
luctantly admitted that they were in
vestigating the cases of number of
persons who had died under circum-
stances which led them to fear that
cholrraic germs might be present"
They could give no definite reply TO the
question, is there cholera in New
York" however. until they had received
the report of the hactcriologists making
the test examinations.
Names of the Victims.
The nan res of the victims, so far as
could be learned, are as follows:
CHARLES MrAvoY, plasterers' assist
ant, - years old.
Mrs. SOPHIA WIGMAN, died at No.
76S Eleventh avenue.
WILLIAM WIGMAS. husband OF Sophia
Wigman, died at the same address.
MINNIE LEyIN.EP, 20 months old,
died at No. All East Forty-sxth street.
CHARLOTTA BECK. ~ years old, died
at No. 1854 Second avenue.
PETER CALLAHAN, an unmarried
stahIeman, who boarded with his sist er
at No. 3ls East Forty-scventh street,
died after an illness of four days; 30
years of age.
1t was admitted that there We're a
number of suspected cases now under
Investigation, hut the names or locations
of the victims would not be divulged.
The reason assigned by the officers for
their reticence was that they had no de-
sire Whatever to create a panic until
they were absolutely certain that Chol-
era ASiatca really was the cause of
death in the cases under investigation.
Whatever doubt may have existed in
the minds of the health officers as TO
the presence of cholera in the city was
dispelled when the following reports
from the psychologists who had made
examinations of the cases We're handed
in.
KacicriOlOyist>' Reports.
CARNEGIE LABORATORY 3ss East c4th street
To Charles q. Wilson, President of the Board
of Health.
Strive would respectfully report that very
careful biological examinations OF the intes
final contents from the body of Charles Nc
Avoy, who died Sept. t. have been completed
Autopsy showed anatomical lesion of suor adic
cholera. but the biological examination proves
that the spirituln of Asiatic cholera was pres
ent in the intcstines We, therefore. declare
the case one of Asiatic cholera. Respectfully
submitted, HERMANN BIGGs,
EDWARD X. DrNIiAM
To Charles G. Wilson, President OF the Health
SIK-Mrs. Sophia Wigman. whose body was
| referred to us 10 determine the cause Of death.
died of Cholera Asiatica. as has been shown by
the biological examination of the intestinal
discharges taken before death. No reliable
conclusions could be drawn from the post
death in this case. OF her husband. Wm.W Wig
man. and both bodies have been embamed
We have no doubt, however, that the cause of
death III both cases was the same. The bio
logical examination in the case of the child.
Minnie I.cvInger. also shows that the cause of
death was Cholera Asiatica Respectfully sub
mitted. HERMANN Riggs
EDWARD X. DURHAM.
On receipt # these reports bulletins
We're issued setting forth the facts re-
garding the presence of the scourge ard
| its work, as given above. The physi-
clans say that they have been unable TO
account for the presence of cholc ra
| germs III the cases mentioned. as none
| of the dead persons had been infected
| in any known way. Every precaution
| had been taken in each instance to pre-
vent the further spread of the disease.
| The clothing and bedding OF each pa
| tient had been burned, and the houses
| in each case placed under strict quaran-
| tine. Thus far no srcs n.lary cases
| have been dis, overel in the premises
occupied Ey the victims. In the official
| bulletin it was stated that the body of
a woman who had die under suspicious
| circumstances was being investigated,
| and that but one new case had been re-
! ported. The bulletin further said that
| all suspected cases Of cholera reported
| were being very carefully watched
Fears Excited Rather Than ..liny.:i.
The fact that the board admits that
| other cases exist and refuses to puhlis h
| their location has an effect contrary TO
| that which the secrecy is intended to
| produce. Instead of allayislg, il tends
to excite, the fears of the people. and
keeps them IN Il condition bordering on
panic.
The question uppcrmost in the minds
of the people who are alive to the situa-
ton is, How did the disease effect a
landing if not through quarantine"
| The fact that the victims had in no way
been brought in contact with persons or
things which might have communicated
the germs makes the question hard TO
| answer. Dr. Jenkins was interviewed
| at quarantine. He betrayed the
greatest surprise when told of the
ravage7 OF the plague in the city. but
expressed the greatest confidence that
it had not gone in through the gordon
he had established TO keep it out. He
said, however. that the best authorities
in the world had set it down as an
axiom that the most stringent and COM
plcte quarantine regulations could claim
to prevent but 40 per cent. of the posi-
bilities of the introduction Of disease
into a country, quarantine having no
control over the other 30 per cent. He
said il was possible for n person who
had been contaminated to infect others
without himself feeling any bad effects
from his contamination.
Cautioned 10 Keep Cool.
The health officers are very fearful
that the knowledge OF the presence of
the plague i'll the city will cause ii gem
cral exodus OF those who can afford to
leave tn. city. and a panic OF fear
among those who must. perforce, re-
main and said that there was very lit
tie danger of an epidemic if people
would only keep cool and think moro
of carefully regulating their manner Of
living and less Of the cholera. Prcsi-
dent Wilson said that there was 10
occasion for excitement in the city. cS
the cholera would not become epi-
d' mic. There was possibility that it
would exist in sporadic form for sixty
| laYS such 4 matter until cool