Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-14
TO PREVENT OR CURE.
Advanced knowledge on Cholera
From European Authorities.
STORY OF PREVIOUS PLAQUES.
An Entrance by Way of New Orleans When
New York Was barred.
REMEDIES FOR THE VARIOUS STAGES

treatment of the cholera from the highest
European authorities, will appear in the
next issue of the Amsricdn Druggist and
should be given the widest publicity.
While India is the home of the cholera,
it Is endemic there in limited areas, whence
the disease only occasionally emerges tax
ing an epidemic form which generally dies
out after about three years The epidemic
outbreaks are influenced by seasons and at
mospheric conditions, and are particularly
prone to occur alter or during famine.
such as occasionally follow a poor crop
year. So far, land quarantines seem to
have been almost or quite futile in barring
the progress of the disease.
The present epidemic originated near the
headwaters of the Ganges in the northwest
ern provinces of India, about March of this
year, and was rapidly spread by the pill
grims returning homeward from the great
Hurdwar fair Passing through Cashmere
and Atghan:stan, the scourge reached Persia
about the first of June, and thence crossed
the Caspian Sea to Asiatic Russia, to
European Russia. where, up to the first of
September, over 0,000 deaths from its
effects were officially recorded, and thence
by immigrants to Hamburg, whence immI-
grant ships have brought it as far as the
New York Quarantine. La Hamburg there
have been from 500 to 600 new cases day,
while the deaths have ranged from 100 to
400 daily.
Story of Previous Epida damics.
In 1916 and 1917 the cholera spr cad with
great rapidity and NAL ignity through Asia
r
the scourge reached the borders of Europe.
Iu 1929 it went as far as the Volga, reach
ing Poland and Silesia in 1881, and
crossing the Atlantic it reached New York
City in 1922, whence it spread over the
United States during the three following
years. Europe was again invaded from
the East in 1916, and the United States in
1S49; local epidemics resulting in the Ohio
and Mississippi Valleys in 1850
In 1854 1866, and 1873 the disease was
again epidemic in the United States In
every case the disease travelled westward,
wholly or partly through Russia, as it is
now doing, following the lines of greatest
travel In 1882, 1884, 1S49, and 1854 the
disease entered the United States in part
through the port of New York, though in
each of these years there was an almost SIM
ultaneous introduction of the plague through
New Orleans or Canada
In 1873 New Orleans was the gateway,
The New York Quarantine proving effec-
tive. In 1866 the New York Quarantine
was wholly responsible for it's admission.
The disease was shut out of the port of New
York by quarantine in 1856, 1856, 1867,
1873, and 1887, and, notwithstanding
the virulence of the form of cholera |
which has appeared on the vessels now |
in quarantine, it is at this writing not |
at all improbable that this record will |
be further improved by the exclusion of |
the present epidemic.
Features of the Plague
The cholera exhibits three phases, which |
are spoken OF as choleragic diarrhea, choI- |
crime, and fully developed cholera. Chol- |
eragic diarrhea has little characteristics |
about it at first, save numerous thin, watery |
stools-as many as five to forty in one day |
which soon lose their normal color. Then |
follows loss of appetite, great thirst, pain |
in the limbs, and a peculiar hoarseness of |
the voice. If the disease proceed no further |
it seldom causes death, save in children, |
invalids, weak and old persons. In general |
this stage is merely preliminary to that of |
cholera itself. and its duration varies, |
though seldom extending over a week.
The disease is termed cholerine as soon as
vomiting is combined with the purging.
The character of the vomited matter is at
first dependent upon the food in the stom-
ach, but it becomes greenish-yellow and
finally simply watery. The thirs: and the
pain in the limbs become intolerable. The
countenance becomes sunken, the tongue
dry and sticky, the voice hoarser. The skin
feels cool, while the internal temperature
of the body rises to 400 c. Q04OF.) or
more, the pulse Increasing in rapidity.
This stage gradually passes into that of
cholera itself. The vomiting and diarrhea
increase, the stools assuming the so-called |
rice-water appearance. The action of the
heart grows weaker; the skin grows pale
cold, and blueish-white; the face assumes
leaden hue; the cheeks fall in, the features
become pinched; the eyes sink deep in their
sockets Consciousness is generally re-
tanned to the last This stage seldom lasts
more than two days and generally death en-
sues within a few hours.
The App-arance OF the Victim.
The corpse also possesses characteristic
appearance. The eyes stare very tixedly; |
the muscles harden and stand out verv dis
tinctly under the skin. The BODY cools off |
very slowly, and, in fact there is generally |
a post mortem rise of temperature as high |
as 400 c. Q07o F. }. A remarkable amount
OF muscular contortions occur within a few
hours OF DEATH sufficient in some cases to
cause the body to change its position, thus
giving rise to the report that the dead have
come to life, etc.
Notwithstanding the efforts made to
keep out the cholera, it is well to be pre-
pared In case these precautions fail First
OF all, the greatest care must be exercised
as to personal hygiene. An otherwise per-
tectlv healthy and cleanly person will |
never have cholera save possibly through
some indiscretion, as by putting something
into his mouth which has not been ster1l-
ized. The human economy in state of
health is not a favorable ground for the
propagation OF cholera microbes, the most
powerful protector being perfectly sound
digestive apparatus, which is maintained in
a normal condition by caution as to diet,
work and exercise
Acid media are particularly unfavorable
to the cholera germ; therefore q dose of 8
to 10 drops of hydrochloric acid in
one-fourth of glass of boiled water taken
after meals, is an excellent prophylactic,
particularly In cases of impaired digestion.
Constipation is frequently induced through
fear OF the cholera, and should be promptly
treated by an enema of freshly boiled water.
Care Against Taking Cold.
Care should be taken to avoid taking cold.
as the resulting catarrhal conditions are
most favorable to the development of the
germs. Gases of catarrh of the stomach and
bowels should be treated very carefully.
During cholera epidemic it is difficult
to ditferentiate between simple diarrhea
and cholera, hence it is best to treat all
cases OF diarrhGa as choleragic. The most
approved treatment for this, is as follows:
Put the patient to bed, first giving a warm
bath; cover warmly; place warm COM
presses on the abdomen; restrict the diet to
some mucllaglnous soup; give laudanum in
combination with brandy, whisky. or rum,