1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
657 
Precautions  Against  Cholera. 
(Continued.) 
Preventive  Precautions. — The  tendency  to  infec¬ 
tion  varies  exceedingly  among  individuals,  and  with 
the  majority  is  small.  Disturbed  conditions  of  the 
digestive  apparatus  greatly  increases  the  susceptibility 
of  individuals  as  well  as  aggravate  the  virulence  and 
increase  the  danger  of  an  attack.  All  causes  of  dis¬ 
turbance  of  the  functions  of  the  stomach  and  intestines 
should  therefore  be  avoided,  such  as  intemperance 
either  in  eating  or  drinking.  All  irregularities  of  per¬ 
sonal  habits,  either  as  to  the  time  of  meals,  occupa¬ 
tion,  exercise,  or  hours  of  sleep  ;  all  emotional  excite¬ 
ments  should  be  removed.  The  use  of  articles  of  food 
which  are  liable  to  occasion  indigestion,  or  to  cause  an 
unusual  or  unhealthy  activity  of  the  digestive  appar¬ 
atus,  should  be  interdicted  :  children  should  be  care¬ 
fully  prevented  from  indulging  in  exhausting  sports 
or  exercise,  and  should  be  carefully  shielded  against 
intemperate  weather.  It  is  all-important  that  the  func¬ 
tions  of  the  skin  should  be  kept  regular  and  active  by 
a  sufficient  amount  of  seasonable  clothing  by  day  and 
by  night.  Cold  baths  should  be  avoided  ;  the  surface 
of  the  body  should  be  washed  at  not  too  frequent 
intervals,  by  sponging  with  tepid  water,  and  after¬ 
ward  dried  thoroughly  by  vigorous  rubbing  with  a 
rough  towel.  Large  quantities  of  water  and  other 
fluids  should  not  be  drank  between  meals.  In  a  house 
where  a  cholera  patient  is  suffering,  the  children 
should  be  kept  out  of  the  sick-room,  as  should  all  others 
not  in  attendance  upon  the  sick. 
The  food  consumed  should  be  perfectly  fresh  and 
sound.  To  guarantee  against  the  possibility  of  infec¬ 
tion  by  water  or  milk,  both  should  be  thoroughly  boiled 
before  use,  and  be  used  as  soon  thereafter  as  practic¬ 
able.  Coffee  and  tea  should  be  recently  made  and 
served  hot.  All  food  should  be  thoroughly  and  re¬ 
cently  cooked.  No  raw  food  of  any  description,  ex¬ 
cept  possibly  a  moderate  quantity  of  perfectly  fresh, 
ripe  and  absolutely  clean  fruit  should  be  eaten.  Salads 
and  other  such  articles  should  be  interdicted.  Bread, 
as  well  as  butter,  should  be  carefully  protected  against 
the  possibility  of  contamination.  The  culinary  uten¬ 
sils  and  tableware  should  be  scrupulously  cleaned  with 
boiling  water.  The  hygienic  condition  of  the  dwelling 
and  its  surroundings  should  be  made  as  perfect  as  pos¬ 
sible.  All  decaying  animal  or  vegetable  matter  should 
be  removed.  The  house  drains  should  be  free  and 
clean,  and  flushed  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  water  at 
intervals,  followed  by  the  emptying  therein  of  a  liberal 
quantity  of  strong  solution  of  copperas  in  water,  or  of 
a  five-per-cent  solution  of  carbolic  acid.  The  cess¬ 
pits  and  the  privies  should  be  kept  clean  and  free  from 
odor  by  the  use  of  unslaked  lime,  large  quantities  of 
copperas,  or  other  s’milar  inexpensive  materials.  The 
supply  for  drinking-water  should  be  scrupulously 
guarded  from  possible  contamination  of  any  kind. 
bi  mptoms.  By  no  means  are  all  suffering  from  an 
attack  of  Asiatic  cholera,  especially  in  the  early  stages, 
so  ill  that  they  cannot  be  out  of  bed,  or  even  out  of 
doors  engaged  in  their  ordinary  vocations ;  still  all 
suffering  from  a  “walking  attack”  carry  in  their  in¬ 
testinal  canal  the  infectious  agent,  and,  under  favor¬ 
able  conditions,  are  capable  of  establishing  centers  of 
infection  wherever  they  chance  to  void  the  contents 
of  the  intestines  or  stomach.  Hence  the  necessity  of 
temporarily  restricting  the  movements  of  all  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  a  family  in  which  a  case  exists  at  least  until 
from  five  to  seven  days  after  the  establishment  of  the 
surveillance.  In  a  large  number  of  cases  an  attack  of 
cholera  is  preceded  some  hours  or  days  by  derange¬ 
ments  of  the  digestive  apparatus,  such  as  distress  or 
fullness  or  heaviness  of  the  stomach,  nausea  or  an 
occasional  vomiting ;  or  the  disorders  may  be  limited 
to  the  intestines  only,  and  be  manifested  by  vague 
general  abdominal  uneasiness,  or  slight  fleeting 
pains  or  contractions  and  gripings  of  the  intestines, 
which  can  be  felt  through  the  abdominal  walls,  and 
all  these  may  be  associated  with  diarrhea;  and  some¬ 
times  disorders  of  the  stomach  and  intestines  are  com¬ 
bined.  In  such  cases  absolute  rest  in  bed,  and,  if 
possible,  also  total  abstinence  for  a  day  or  two  from 
food,  should  be  enjoined  ;  if  there  be  reason  to  infer 
the  presence  in  the  stomach  of  undigested  food, 
a  single  emetic  dose  of  ipecac  should  be  admin¬ 
istered  ;  or  if  there  be  visible  peristaltic  movements  of 
the  intestines,  or  diarrhea,  these  should  be  controlled 
respectively  by  small  doses  of  opium  in  a  convenient 
form,  and  of  such  drugs  as  salol,  naphthalin,  or  analo¬ 
gous  compounds  to  be  obtained  at  the  nearest  drug 
store.  This  form  usually  lasts  two  or  three  days  or 
sometimes  longer  and  then  if  it  does  not  gradually 
subside,  it  may  either  pass  into  a  more  severe  form  or 
itself  prove  fatal. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  nine-tenths  of  all 
the  cases  of  cholera  that  occur  in  any  community,  even 
where  sporadic  cases  of  Asiatic  cholera  prevail,  belong 
to  one  of  the  other  five  or  six  forms  of  cholera  common 
at  all  times  among  us,  especially  cholera  morbus  with 
which  Asiatic  cholera  is  often  confounded,  especially 
in  the  early  stages.  The  second  stage  of  the  latter  is 
termed  the  stage  of  collapse  which,  as  above  men¬ 
tioned,  is  often  preceded  by  premonitory  diarrhea. 
The  symptoms,  however,  often  appear  suddenly  with 
diarrhea  of  the  most  violent  character,  the  matters 
discharged  being  very  whey-like  in  appearance  and 
commonly  termed  “rice-water”  evacuations.  They 
contain  large  quantities  of  disintegrated  epithelial 
linings  of  the  intestines.  The  discharge,  at  first 
unattended  with  pain,  is  soon  followed  by  copious 
vomitings  of  matters  like  those  passed  from  the  bowels, 
accompanied  with  severe  pains  at  the  pit  of  the  stom¬ 
ach  and  intense  thirst.  The  symptoms  now  rapidly 
advance.  Cramps  of  the  legs,  feet  and  muscles  of  the 
abdomen  come  on  with  intense  agony,  while  signs  of 
collapse  make  their  appearance.  The  surface  of  the 
body  becomes  cold,  and  assumes  a  blue  or  purple  hue, 
the  skin  is  dry,  sodden  and  wrinkled,  the  features  are 
pinched  and  the  eyes  deeply  sunken.  The  pulse  at  the 
wrist  is  imperceptible  and  the  voice  is  reduced  to  a 
hoarse  whisper ;  while  there  is  a  complete  suppression 
of  the  urine.  In  this  condition  death  takes  place 
usually  in  a  day  or  more,  but  frequently  within  a  few 
hours  from  the  appearance  of  the  first  symptom.  Gen¬ 
erally  the  mental  faculties  are  unaffected,  but  become 
apathetic  in  the  later  stages.  The  bodies  of  persons 
dying  from  the  disease  remain  long  warm  ;  and  often 
change  their  position  by  muscular  contractions  after 
death. 
The  third  stage  of  cholera  is  reaction.  It  consists 
of  the  arrest  of  the  alarming  symptoms  of  the  second 
stage,  and  the  gradual  but  steady  improvement  of  the 
patient’s  condition.  The  pulse  returns,  the  surface 
assumes  a  natural  hue  and  the  bodily  heat  is  restored. 
Before  long  the  vomiting  ceases,  and  although  diarrhea 
may  continue  for  a  time  it  diminishes  in  severity  and 
soon  subsides  as  do  the  cramps.  The  urine  continues 
suppressed  for  some  time,  and  on  its  return  is  often 
found  albuminous.  Relapses,  however,  frequently  occur 
if  the  greatest  care  and  prudence  are  not  observed, 
and  very  often  they  prove  speedily  fatal. 
Treatment. — Constant  attention  and  absolute  rest 
as  soon  as  the  first  symptoms  are  noticed,  together 
with  warmth,  the  careful  use  of  food  and  weak  stimu¬ 
lants,  aided  by  small  quantities  of  astringents  and 
opiates,  with  an  absence  of  all  pusillanimous  haste 
and  fear,  would  save  a  large  number  who  would  fruit¬ 
lessly  rely  on  specific  treatment.  With  respect  to  the 
latter,  in  no  other  disease  is  there  so  wide  a  divergence 
of  opinion  among  the  medical  fraternity  or  so  many 
extravagant  notions  with  regard  to  the  value  of 
remedies.  No  medical  agent  has  yet  been  found,  how¬ 
ever,  of  infallible  efficiency.  The  various  stages  of  the 
disease  require  different  treatment,  and  if  an  attack  is 
apprehended,  the  nearest  good  physician  should  in¬ 
stantly  be  summoned.  For  cholera-diarrhea,  a  simple 
and  efficacious  treatment  advocated  by  the  best  prac¬ 
titioners  has  been  mentioned  above.  Strict  confine¬ 
ment  to  bed  and  the  administration  of  bland  drinks 
such  as  barley-water  or  beef-tea  along  with  counter- 
irritants  to  the  abdomen  are  also  valuable  helps.  In 
the  second  stage,  the  violent  vomiting  and  purging 
and  the  intense  thirst  may,  until  the  doctor  arrives, 
be  relieved  by  acid  effervescing  drinks,  while  at  the 
same  time  endeavors  should  be  made  to  maintain  the 
heat  of  the  body  by  friction  with  stimulating  lini¬ 
ments,  or  applications  of  mustard  to  the  surface,  and 
by  enveloping  the  body  in  flannel  and  surrounding  it 
with  bottles  of  hot  water.  For  the  relief  of  cramps 
inhalation  of  chloroform  is  recommended.  Stimulants, 
such  as  ammonia  and  brandy,  must  be  used  where 
these  measures  fail  to  establish  reaction  and  the 
patient  threatens  to  sink.  When  reaction  occurs,  and 
vomiting  ceases,  liquid  food  in  small  quantities  may 
be  cautiously  administered. 
Nursing.— -With  constant  and  proper  precautions,  a 
cholera  patient  can  be  cared  for  with  little  or  no 
danger  to  the  attendant.  The  evacuations  from  the 
stomach  and  bowels  should  be  directly  passed  into  a 
vessel  containing  a  quart  or  more  of  a  strong  solution 
of  carbolic  acid— one  part  to  20  of  water— and  as  soon 
as  possible  after  the  evacuation  enough  of  the  disin¬ 
fectant  should  be  added  to  make  the  whole  quantity 
equal  to  the  bulk  of  the  evacuated  material.  It  should 
then  be  gently  stirred  and  allowed  to  stand  for  15  to 
20  minutes,  when  it  should  be  emptied  into  a  pit  con¬ 
taining  unslaked  lime,  and  be  immediately  covered 
with  the  same  material.  The  arms,  hands  and  mouth 
of  the  patient  should  also  be  washed  immediately  after 
evacuation,  with  a  much  weaker  solution  of  a  disinfec¬ 
tant,  say  water  slightly  acidulated  with  sulphuric 
acid  for  the  mouth,  and  one  part  to  10,000  of  bichlor¬ 
ide  of  mercury  for  the  hands  and  anus.  The  hands  of 
the  attendant  should  also  be  washed  with  the  same 
weak  solution  after  handling  the  patient.  Nobody 
should,  under  any  circumstances,  eat  in  the  sick  room, 
nor  should  anybody  who  has  been  in  direct  contact 
with  the  sufferer  or  any  of  his  personal  effects,  eat 
without  first  thoroughly  cleansing  and  disinfecting  the 
hands.  The  floor  of  the  sick  room  should  be  without 
carpets  and  may  be  sprinkled  or  washed  with  a  strong 
solution  of  carbolic  acid.  Soiled  bed  and  body  cloth¬ 
ing  should  be  put,  before  removal  from  the  sick  room, 
into  a  solution  of  carbolic  acid — one  part  to  20 — and 
should  be  immediately  boiled  for  several  hours. 
Awful  Milk  in  Chicago. 
The  Chicago  Herald  has  been  doing  some  good  work 
in  showing  up  the  sources  of  the  impure  and  unwhole¬ 
some  milk,  which  has  been  playing  such  havoc  with 
the  children  of  that  city.  It  finds  that  in  various  parts 
of  the  city  cows  are  kept  confined  in  filthy  stables 
and  fed  on  the  slops  from  vinegar  factories  and  dis¬ 
tilleries.  One  stable,  kept  by  Simon  Ryan,  is  described 
where  7(5  cows  are  thus  slowly  poisoned  by  unwhole¬ 
some  food,  poisoning  in  turn  the  thousands  of  children 
who  consumed  their  milk.  The  Herald  says  : 
To  test  the  effect  of  slop  feed  on  milch  cows,  a  visit  to  Simon  Ryan’s 
place  was  made.  The  7ti  cows  from  which  ho  derives  an  Income  are 
sheltered  beneath  a  Bhed  about  120  feet  long.  30  feet  wide  and  10  feet, 
at  the  eaves,  high.  To  find  Mr.  Ryan’s  cow  shed  Is  no  easy  mattor. 
One  must  drive  out  to  Clybourn  Avenue  and  Robey  Street;  a  man 
named  O’Shea  conducts  a  saloon  at  that  point,  and  Inquiry  at  his  place 
leads  to  the  discovery  that  the  long,  narrow  and  dirty  alley  that  runs 
eastwards  leads  to  “  Sim  ”  Ryan’s  “  dairy.”  The  stable  Is  150  or  200 
feet  from  the  river.  Surrounding  It  Is  a  big  brickyard,  where  the  clay 
<  ast  on  the  bank  by  the  dredges  Is  fashioned  into  the  white  or  yellow 
brick.  Between  the  shed  and  the  river  there  was  once  a  deep  hole 
covering  nearly  one-half  acre.  This  was  what  Is  called  a  “  clay-pool,” 
In  other  words,  a  place  from  which  clay  had  been  dug.  That  great 
hole  Is  now  the  receptacle  of  the  tilth  that  flows  from  the  adjoining 
stable.  It  Is  filled  to  the  brim,  and  there  rises  from  its  putrid  surface 
an  awful  stench,  compared  with  which  the  stock-yards  odor  Is  per¬ 
fume.  The  polluting  filth  Is  not  cast  from  the  shed  where  It  Is  pro- 
duced-lt  simply  flows  out  In  a  never-ending  stream.  Slops  fed  to  the 
animals  within  the  low  shed  produce  perpetual  diarrhea. 
On  the  edge  of  this  frightful  cesspool  stands  the  shed  In  which  Mr. 
Ryan  keeps  70  milch  cows.  Each  one  Is  tied  to  the  manger.  Outside 
the  door  Is  a  huge  vat  Into  which  are  thrown  the  slops  four  times  dally 
brought  from  the  vinegar  works  of  Henning.  Inside  the  scone  Is  dis¬ 
gusting  beyond  the  power  of  Zola’s  pen  to  picture.  The  animals 
stand  or  lie  down  In  this  filthy  place  month  In  and  out.  If  they  fall  or 
lie  down,  their  bod  Is  an  offal-soaked  flooring,  Twice  each  day  the 
“herders”  and  “milkers”  enter  this  place  draw  from  those  slop-fed 
animals  the  little  milk  their  udders  can  spare.  It  does  not  amount  to 
much— 40  gallons  In  the  morning  and  32  gallons  In  the  evening.  That 
Is  what  the ’’ boss  ”  milker  told  Inspector  Cobb.  The  milk  is  drawn 
from  the  cows  under  all  conditions  that  medical  men  declare  to  be 
sure  to  produce  In  the  milk  the  power  to  disseminate  disease. 
The  reporter  took  a  sample  of  this  milk  to  a  chemist, 
telling’  him  it  was  from  a  fine  Jersey  dairy,  on  good 
pasture,  etc.,  etc.,  but  the  analysis  revealed  a  very 
different  condition  of  things. 
“  You  did  not  get  that  milk  from  a  healthy  cow,”  said  Dr.  Wahl.  “It 
Is  the  most  frightful  mixture  that  has  ever  been  turned  over  to  us  for 
Investigation.  The  chemical  analysis  shows  the  following: 
Total  solids . 10.30 
Solids  not  Including  fat  .  n ’ yy 
Fat .  3.30 
“  Now  you  will  note  that  the  fat,  or  the  cream.  Is  nearly  one-third  of 
one  per  cent  above  standard.  Yet  the  total  solids  are  1  80  100  less  than 
they  should  be.  This  discrepancy  Is  easily  accounted  for.  The  animal 
that  gave  It  must  have  been  fed  on  slop.  All  authorities  agree  that 
slop-fed  animals  produce  milk  rich  In  cream.  It  ferments  quickly, 
however.  Hence  I  conclude  that  this  sample  came  from  a  slop-fed 
cow  or  cows.  But  this  chemical  analysis  Is  not  at  all  startling  when 
compared  with  the  mlcrosoplcal  disclosures. 
“  We  find  a  large  amount  of  excrement.  The  milk  was  full  of  pu¬ 
trefying  bacteria— such  as  have  some  connection  with  the  formation  of 
the  so-called  milk  cheese  and  Ice  cream  poison,  tyrotoxlcon.  Such 
milk  will  degenerate  rapidly  and  become  foul.  It  will  not  turn  sour, 
as  good  milk  will,  but  will  give  out  a  most  obnoxious  odor.  Such  milk 
could  not  fall  to  be  the  cause  of  cholera  Infantum  In  children  and 
cholera  morbus  In  adults.  This  sample  of  milk  was  vile  In  every¬ 
thing.  I  do  not  know  whence  It  came,  but  I  do  know  that  it  was  pro¬ 
duced  under  conditions  that  are  at  variance  with  all  rules  of  health.” 
The  result  of  the  Herald’s  good  work  is  that  the 
health  officials  and  police  alike  are  stirring  to  suppress 
these  hot-beds  of  disease  and  more  rigorous  legislation 
is  being  called  for  in  aid  of  the  work.  In  the  mean¬ 
time,  the  people  who  want  good  milk  will  see  that  it 
comes  from  the  farmers’  organization,  which  has  an 
ample  supply  of  milk  from  grass-fed  cows. 
The  Chicago  Board  of  Health  has  been  very  lax  in 
its  duties,  like  some  other  boards  which  might  be 
named.  It  will  be  likely  to  do  better  for  a  while. 
Business  Bits. 
THE  PARMER  IN  POLITICS. 
(See  page  851.) 
To  catch  the  farmer’s  vote  a  trap  Is  laid, 
Concealed  with  promises  of  good  and  gain  ; 
While  politicians  hide  within  the  shade 
Of  “  platform  ”  sympathy  and  flattery  vain, 
Anxious  the  farmer’s  favor  to  secure, 
Watching  his  every  move  with  eager  eyes  ; 
But  when  election ’s  o’er,  the  vote  made  sure, 
Who  cares  for  promises  7  Who  gets  the  prize?— s.  p.  shuli.. 
“Chapman’s  Chances.”— C.  E.  Chapman  of  Peruvllle,  N.  Y..  takes 
a  page  of  the  Fair  Bulletin  to  advertise  his  “chances”  in  seed  pota¬ 
toes,  small  fruits,  grade  Jersey  cows,  Cheshire  hogs  and  B.  Leghorns 
Mr.  Chapman  Is  an  old  friend  of  The  R.  N.-Y. 
Pumping  out  Sand.— I  have  about  40  rods  of  gas  pipe  which  car¬ 
ries  water  from  a  spring  well  to  mv  barnyard  along  a  stiff  down  grade. 
After  a  heavy  rain,  quicksand  gets  in  and  stops  It  up.  I  have  borrowed 
an  old-fashioned  force  pump  and  forced  the  sand  out.  Where  can  I 
get  such  a  pump  with  about  six  or  eight  feet  of  hose.  b.  w.  h. 
West  BloomUeld,  N.  Y. 
It.  N’-Y.— The  Field  Force  Pump  Co.,  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  makes  a 
good  pump  suitable  for  the  purposes. 
Knave  Cotton.— One  of  our  Mississippi  subscribers,  writing  about 
agricultural  matters  in  his  State,  says:  “This  section  Is  at  present 
suffering  from  the  great  depression  In  the  price  of  cotton— our  only 
marketable  product— and,  in  my  Judgment,  the  only  prospect  of  re¬ 
lief  (either  remote  or  Immediate)  is  in  diversity  of  crops.  Let  the 
farmers  “  live  at  home  ”  Instead  of  going  in  debt  for  supplies  and  at¬ 
tempting  to  pay  the  debt  with  slx-cent  cotton.  I  believe  The  Rurai, 
New-Yokkeh,  If  widely  circulated  in  this  section,  would  open  their 
eyes  to  the  evil  and  the  remedy.” 
A 
