The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-30
HOW CHOLERA SPREADS IN INDIA.
Through Lack of Sanitation and the Peo-
ple's Peculiar Habits,

Through Lack of Sanitation and the Peo-
ple's Peculiar Habits,
A plain story of the conditions that
prevail in India for the spread of the
cholera was related at the New Century
club by DR.. Pauline Root of the Woman's
Medical college, who has lived for eight
years in southern India. DR.. Root began
by describing the conditions under which
people live in southern India, in order 10
show exactly what circumstances gene
crate the cholera. There is absolutely
no sanitation there as we have it. Drain
age, with the exception of fever breeder
in the way of an open sewer, is unknown.
In the village people live in low mud
huts, where all the family congregate in
one room, the dimensions of which are
likely to be four feet by ten or twelve
feet. AS there are no outbu1ldings at all.
there is no way in which persons can
protect themselves against the cholera if
it once. appears in such household.
Sometimes, if the well runs dry, stagnant
water must be used. A high cast person.
age will not allow low caste to use his
well.
Commonly people go to the river for
water. AS the water is frequently not
on the surface, a sttubt' is dug in the
river bed and the water allowed to collect.
At this tub or at the well all the func-
tions of bathing are performed. First
the jar is filled and the water being dashed
over the person soon trickles back to it's
source. In the case of certain religious
enthusiasts, water is poured over the
single piece of silk or cloth which is worn
as garment, must be washed. This is
dipped into the pool. Finally the jar is
retilled and carried home. The quality
of the water by the time the jar is refilled
is promising indeed when cholera is in
the air.
In these river tubs the clothes are
washed. The cattle are taken there to
drink. DR.. Root said that in sending a
man to the river to fetch water there was
never any certainty that he would not
fill his jar with the water standing in one
of the pools instead OF digging a fresh
hole. The very cleanliness of the people
and they are extremely clean-tends to
the spread of cholera because their
method of bathing is so unintelligent.
In southern India there is always more or
less cholera. tits often prevalent after a
certain religious festivalEof the marriage
of two diyinities-which is celebrated by
an encampment in the river bed for foul
or five days.
AS for facilities in caring for the sick in
India, DR.. Root graphically showed how
! forlornly poor these are by describing hel
experience in the house OF the vice pres
ident OF the municipality of Nadia, {
wealthy man, who arrayed himself re-
splendently when he came to ask her t.
visit his wife, thus showing his solicitud,
for his wife's condition. Undoubtedly b,
meant to do the best ne could for the sick
woman, for the doctor found her in .
room adjacent to her husband s-a posit.
| ion of honor. The woman was badE
crippled. and only able to crawl dowi
from her cot. Beyond playing with thu
children and polishing the jewels nothing
relieved the monotony of her day. Sh
was entirely uncared for. hole in tn,
wall for refuse was cleaned only once
day. The woman died of blood poison
ing. And this is the way sick person
Jared in one of the better houses
Usually a sick person is placed in
room that is reached from the house b,
crossing court and passing through al
alley. The alley usually has black, slim,
water in it. The room IS seven feet square
In the court are often found the COW
chickens and number Of persons. NJ
wonder that under such conditions chol
era spreads like wildfire. But cholera
always brought. 1t never starts of itself
Philadelphia Ledger.