The herald., 1893-02-07
CHOLERA AND ITS PREVENTION.


the laity. OF course it would be out of
place in daily journal to attempt to
give even resume of his labored dis
cussion of this interesting topic, but his
conclusions ought to be impressed upon
the minds of everyone. He ascribes the
great prevalence of cholera and all
zymotic diseases to two causes. One is
the modern and Christian practice of
burying the bodies of infected persona.
He proves, by numerous citations, that
this has led to epidemics thirty and fifty
years after interments. The bacilli, or
microbes, or spores, or by whatsoever
name the pests may be described, lie
dormant, and come to life on exposure
to the air, to do their fell work of death
and disease. They are brought to
the surface by earth worms, be-
come vitalized in the bodies
of these creatures, and are
prepared to fasten on persons whose
receptivity has been brought about by
degeneration of physical vigor. DR..
Billings instances quite a number of
cases in which the stirring up of the
soil has resulted in tho revival of epi-
denies. The earth worms, which are
the most prolific agents Of spreading in
lection, create mounds that are swarm
ing with bacilli in vicious activity. Con-
sequentiy, ne thinks that people who
die from an infectious disease ought to
be cremated, not buried. 1t may be
added that there are not only great
many people who agree with DR.. Bill
ings in this but who think that in all
cases cremation is preferable to burial
in the earth. While it has been the
practice of Christian people to bury
their dead, there is really nothing viol-
ative of any Christian tenet in adopting
this cleaner and infinitely more con-
vsnient method of sepulture.
The second and most sweeping cause
of all zymotio diseases DR.. Billings as
cribes to bad water. He says that the
progress OF all zymntic epidemics can be
easily traced. 1t viii be remembered
that the outbreak OF last year, as far as
Europeans and Americans are interested
in followingits progress, started at Ham
burg, and was thence transmitted over
Europe and to America, where it was
happily arrested by the vigorous quar-
antine regulations in the harbor Of New
York. Hamburg is the city where the
cholera started in the celebrated epi-
denies of 1881 and 1653-54. 1t came
fropo aia trovoraod Prussia and DoIand
and spread its infection to Hamb urg,
and from that city to the English coast,
and thence to France and other CONT
mental nations, and to America. The peo.
pie OF Hamburg drink frightfully i'm
pure water from the river Elbe, and the
same may be said of most OF the princi-
pal cities of Europe at that date, substi-
tuting local rivers for the Elbe. In Lon
don the virulence OF the disease could be
traced by the source OF the water sup.
ply. One of the London reservoirs was
notably impure, and in the districts
supplied from it the mortality was
frightful. Those portions of the city
which received the comparatively pure
water escaped with one-third of the
death rate that characterized the region
supplied with foul water. Or. Billings
gives instances in which the fecal dis
charge OF single patient started
zymotic epidemic. His remedy is
simple one. All water used by people
who are not SO fortunate as to have
pure supply ought to be boiled or FL.
tered. When filter is used the porous
substance through which the water in.
filtrates should be taken out and cleansed
frequently; the oftener the better. The
use OF cisterns the doctor utterly con-
demns. 1t is surely tho part of wisdom
to take the little trouble involved in
these simple precautions. Even in
times when no epidemic threatens a
community this is a very trifing price
to pay for assured health.
The probability is extrems, and this
time the reflections are ours and not DR..
Billings, that we shall never again
witness in the United States the
tremendous ravages which character
lied the cholera epidemics of the
thirties and flfties. Sanitation has
made wonderful progress since. Sewage
has made seven-lesgue advances since
then. The plumber has been abroad in
the land. There is everywhere an
energetic war being made against filth,
which is the primal mother of all
disease. Even the poor now CO mmand
conveniences that were not known even
to the rich thirty and fifty years ago.
American municipalities have become
very enterprising. They 60 great dis
tances for the water which they supply
to their inhabitants. Filtering has be
come science of universal application,
and even the muddy waters OF the Mis-
eissippi are now furnished to the con-
sumner as clear as crystal, aud sparkling
likeMoselle or Vougeot in the glass.
For these blessings we ought to be
duly thankful. At the same time it will
not be whit amiss to take the simple
precautions recommended by DR.. Bill
ings, nor would it be wise to allow, DUR
ing the centennial year, the Hamburg
steamship companies to discharge an un-