The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-10-20
HOW CHOLERA is SPREAD IN INDIA.


FCW Cf1OLthA 10 StNENb tN iNpiNs 4
Through iack 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 ut the New Cen
tury club BY DIR. 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 In
dia, in order to show exactly what cir
cumstances generate the cholera. There
Is absolutely no sanitation there as we
have it. Drainage, with the exception
Of fever breeder in the way of an open
sewer, is unknown. In the village pe0-
pie live in low mud huts, where all the
family congregate IN one room, the di-
mensions of which are likely to be 4 feet
by 10 or f2 feet. As there are no ont
buildings at all, there ism way inwhich
persons can protect themselves against
the cholera il it once appears in such u
household. Sometimes, if the well runs
dry, staguant water must be used. A
high caste parsonage will not allow a
low caste to use his well.
Commonly people go to the river for
water. As the water is frequently not
on the surface, a tub" is dug in the
river bed and the water allowed to col
lect. AT this tub or ut the well all the
functions Of bathing are performed.
First the jar is filled and the water being
dashed over the person soon trickles back
to its source, In the case Of certain re-
ligious enthusiasts, water is poured over
the body 80 times. Next the seely, the
single piece of silk or cloth which is worn
as garment, must be washed. This is
dipped into the pool. Finally tue jar is
refiIled and carried home. The quality
of the water by the time the jar is re.
filled 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 q
| man to the riverto fetch water there was
never any certainty that he would moi
fill his jar with the water standing in out
of the pools instead Of digging q fresh
hole. The very cleanliness of the people
---and they are extremely clean--tendi
TO the spread Of cholera because theii
method of bathing is so unintelligent
In southern India there is always mort
| or less cholera. 1t is often prevalent aft
er certain religious festiyal-of tn,
the marriage of two divinities which il
celebrated by an encampment in th'
river bed for four or five days.
As for facilities in caring for the sicl
in India, DR.. Root graphically showet
how forlornly poor these are by describ
ing her experience in the house of TIN
vice president of the municipality o
Madua, wealthy man, who arrayet
himself resplendently when he came tt
ask her to visit his wife, thus showing
his solicitude for his wife's condition
Undoubtedly he meant to do the best h
could for the sick woman, for the docto
found her in room adjacent to her hus
bandIs-a position Of honor. The won
an was badly crippled and only able I
crawl down from her cot. Beyond play
ing with the children and polishing til
Jewels nothing relieved the monotony O
her day, She was entirely uncared foi
A hole in the wall for refuse was cleane
only once day. The woman died q
blood poisoning. And this is the way
sick person Jared in one Of the bette
housesl
Usually sick person is placed in
room that is reached from the house b
crossing court and passing through a
alley. The alley usually has blacl
Shiny water in it. The room is fet
square. In the court are often foun
the COW, chickens and a number of pc
sons. No wonder that under such col
ditions cholera spreads like wildfr
But cholera is always brought. 1t nevt
starts of itself. Philadelphia Ledger,