The cholera epidemic of 1873 in the United States.

  • United States. Surgeon-General's Office.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The cholera epidemic of 1873 in the United States. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    taken with cholera after his return home, communicated the disease to other members of the family, and one or more cases occurred. Active disinfection of the excreta was employed in the majority of the cases; and it is nol iceable that wherever this method of precaution was instituted no second case occurred. The same remark may be made of a few isolated instances in which no disinfectants were used, but many other cases can be noted in which the neglect of such [)recautiouary method was followed by the occurrence of several cases of the disease. A company of United States Infantry occupied the barracks in the town of Lebanon during the entire epidemic. In the management of these men extraordinary precautions were adopted. They were kept constantly employed, their food was carefully inspected, and the water of the well from which alone they were allowed to drink, was constantly tested as to its purity. A constant vigilance was employed to discover the disease in its incipient stage. Whenever a man was observed, by a non commissioned officer detailed for the purpose, to visit the company- sink more than once, he was at once reported to the hospital, where the next dejection was received in a commode and carefully inspected. The least tendency to diarrhma was treated. The commanding officer sec- onded fully the medical officer of the post, all of whose sanitary recom- mendations were rigidly enforced. No case of the disease occurred in the garrison, although during the epidemic cases of acute diarrhoea were of frequent occurrence, but' all yielded to treatment. The child of a married soldier who resided with his family outside the garrison-limits, and who was not subjected to the same sanitary regulations, died Sep- tember 8 of cholera. This death occurred late in the day. On the 9th the father. Private William Moore, while arranging for the funeral, drank largely of whisky, in each drink of which he placed a quantity of quinine, of which he had purchased an ounce, under the impression that it could prevent his taking the disease. At 11 o’clock p. m. of the same day this man was found in his bed collapsed, and he died before morning. In the town of Lebanon, during the epidemic, in but one instance did more than one case occur in a private house; in that instance a mother and her young daughter both died of the disease. At the Guthrie House, the railroad-hotel, five cases occurred, three of which terminated fatally. The other hotel, distant about one hundred and fifty yards, was free from the disease. No cases occurred in any of the county institu- tions of charity or correction. The majority of the physicians adopted the calomel and opium treat- ment, combined with camphor or aromatics. The opium was used with care. No favorable results were obtained by atropia. In all instances (after the first blow of the disease upon the community) in which the patient was subjected to active treatment and perfect rest in the first stage of the disease, it was found to be perfectly amenable to treatment. Un the od of September a case of some interest occurred in the per- son of a negro man about forty years of age, who was found by Dr. Lleaver and the writer, lying on the floor of a deserted cabin fully col- lapsed. There was absolutely nothing in the room; the man had no home, and was deserted by his kind. A bed was procured, upon which he was made comlortable; a large dose of calomel was administered, and as it was tound utterly impossible to obtain a nurse he was pro- vided with a light, some calomel-iiowders, and a large bucket of iced water, and a cup. He was vomiting occasionally, having involuntary discharges, was pulseless and voiceless; his body was icy cold, and bathed in profuse perspiration. Other cases demanding attendance,