REPORT ON CHOLERA.

SANITARY BUREAU, HEALTH DEPARTMENT,

NEW YORK, May 1, 1874.

WALTER DE F. DAY, M. D., Sanitary Superintendent, etc.

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SIR: I have the honor to present the following Report on the Progress of Epidemic Cholera through the Mississippi Valley in 1873, with the accompanying map:

During the month of May, 1873, information was received, through the newspapers, that a diarrhoeal disease, of an unusual and fatal character, had appeared in Memphis, Tenn. Attention was soon called to the fact that, during the preceding March and April, a similar disease had appeared at New Orleans, and on further inquiry it was ascertained that the same disease had been observed by the physicians of Vicksburg and Jackson, Miss., during the month of May.

It thus became gradually evident that a disease, having some of the characteristics of Asiatic cholera, was advancing up the valley of the Mississippi. As the city of New York is in frequent commercial communication with the places above mentioned, it was deemed advisable that the progress of this threatening disease should be noted. Receiving instructions from this Bureau, I recorded all the facts obtainable, and on June 20th became convinced that the disease in question was Asiatic cholera. This opinion was based on the following considerations: 1. The first cases had appeared at a seaport (New Orleans); 2. The disease was of a diarrhoeal character, and, in many cases, had proved fatal in less than twenty-four hours; 3. It was making progress; 4. Its progress was characterized by the apparently capricious selection of towns and cities. which marked the cholera epidemic of 1849.1

1 The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of September 12, 1849, makes the following extract from the Cincinnati Gazette, showing the capricious movements of the cholera epidemic of 1849: "It appears here, there, elsewhere, suddenly and often giving no warning, without reference to lines of travel, regardless of natural water-courses, wholly independent of the direction of prevailing winds, and uncontrolled by the topographical character or geological formation of the districts within its general course. . . . For weeks it is at New Orleans, and does not appear at Natchez, or Vicksburg, or Memphis, although the intercommunication is incessant; for even months it is in that city, and does not appear in Mobile at all, except in the instances of three or four persons who come home with the disease devel

The published investigations of numerous experienced observers, and the Reports of the Boards of Health of the cities in which the disease appeared, have established beyond a doubt that the disease was Asiatic cholera.

The following is a brief summary of facts, many of which were presented in weekly reports made to your Bureau, while the disease was progressing, and when it was feared that it might reach New York. The facts were obtained chiefly by the examination of daily and weekly newspapers published in the regions invaded by the diseasc. For access to complete files of these papers, I was indebted to George P. Rowell, Esq., of the Advertising Agency, at 41 Park Row. Valuable information was also received from Ely McClellan, M. D., Assistant Surgeon, United States Army, and from John C. Peters, M. D., and Elisha Harris, M. D., Registrar of Vital Statistics of this Department.

The following summary of facts is arranged chronologically by States, as far as possible, and, under each State, alphabetically by towns:

LOUISIANA.

Baton Rouge. Weekly Gazette-Comet, May 31, 1873. "There have been some few cases of cholera-morbus, or spasmodic cholera."

Delta, Madison Parish. The Weekly Journal gives the following facts: "A colored man died on the Crane Plantation, of cholera, June 28th. Up to July 1st, there had been several deaths by cholera on the Utz plantation, and quite a number on Roundaway Bayou." There was a death from cholera on Fortune's Fork Plantation, July 7th, and in the week ending July 29th, ten or twelve colored persons died of cholera on the Ballard Place.

Monroe, Ouachita Parish. Population, 1,749. The report of the sexton states that the first case of cholera occurred about May 25th. In May there were sixteen deaths, and from June 1st to July 15th, sixty-nine deaths. Total deaths from cholera, eighty-five.

New Orleans. Population 191,418. The first three deaths from cholera occurred Feb. ruary 9th, 10th, and 28th. The Annual Report of the Board of Health of Louisiana, for 1873, presents a summary as follows: The following table comprises all cases of cholera and cholera-morbus reported to the Board of Health. It is almost wholly a record of deaths.

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oping in their systems, and die of it. It appears at St. Louis, and scourges that city as no other American city has been scourged, and yet, for the space of five months, the city of Alton, a few hours' travel above, on the same river, and in daily, we may say hourly, munication, does not feel its presence in a single case. Then Alton is stricken, and in a fortnight many of her best citizens are borne to the grave. It leaps to Cincinnati, moving over hundreds of miles of populated country in a direct line, and passing by many cities and towns on the water-line of travel, and for two months subjects us to its terrible ravages, carrying off thousands of our people. Yet, while this is going on, a populous city, but little more than a hundred miles from us, nearly altogether escapes its presence, and many smaller towns, at half that distance, remain wholly exempt from its visitation. Then it leaps sixty miles north, to Dayton, a city of 12,000 to 14,000 inhabitants, and eighty miles south, to Lexington, a city of 7,000 or 8,000, and fills their cemeteries with new-made the intermediate towns, with their populations of 1,000 to 5,000 each, experience entire immunity. In the rural districts, too, the same capriciousness is shown. In some counties, almost every town of from 100 to 300 inhabitants has witnessed the presence and the rav ages of the disease, while in adjoining counties even its breath has not been felt."

graves,

while

Providence, Carroll Parish. paper the latter part of June.

Several deaths from cholera are reported in the weekly

Thibodeaux, Lafourche Parish. Population 1,922. The Weekly Sentinel gives the following facts: From May 10th to 17th, fifteen or more deaths from cholera occurred on the Oak Grove and Scudday Plantations. In the latter half of May, seven deaths from cholera occurred on Mrs. Collins's, and two on Harang's Plantation. By the end of June there had been from forty to fifty deaths from cholera in the parish, and five more occurred the first week in July.

Vidalia, Concordia Parish. The Weekly Herald states that from June 10th to 21st there were ten deaths from cholera on the plantation of Mr. Lambden. Up to July 19th, twentysix cases and six deaths had occurred on Mr. David Miller's place.

MISSISSIPPI.

Holly Springs, Marshall County. Population 2,406. The Memphis Appeal reports three deaths from cholera on July 6th, two of them being children in one family.

Jackson, Hinds County. Population 4,234. The Weekly Clarion reports ten white and thirteen colored deaths from cholera from May 20th to July 4th.

Meridian, Lauderdale County. A death from cholera July 14th, and other cases rumored. Vicksburg, Warren County. Population 12,443. The sexton's weekly reports give thirteen deaths from cholera in four weeks ending June 9, 1873.

ALABAMA.

Birmingham, Jefferson County. Population of township, by census of 1870, is 1,055. The first case occurred about June 1st, and from that date to July 18th there were one hundred and thirty deaths from cholera.

Eufaula, Barbour County. Population, 3,185. The Eufaula News of June 16th states that the prevalent " painful bowel-disease" has abated but little; and July 15th, gives account of the death of a prominent man, from " cramp colic."

Huntsville, Madison County. Population, 4,907. The Weekly Democrat states that from June 1st to July 23d, there were one hundred and ten deaths. Of these, forty-two are stated to have been from cholera.

Mobile. The Eufaula News of June 5th states that it was cholera-morbus and not Asiatic cholera, which caused alarm in Mobile the preceding week, and that there were many cases of cholera-morbus, or a disease resembling it, throughout the country.

Montgomery. The Columbus (Ga.) Sun of July 27th reports two cases of cholera at Montgomery: "A negro buried his wife Friday at sunset, came home, was stricken with the disease, and died next morning by eight o'clock."

GEORGIA.

Atlanta. The Constitution, July 3d, gives details of a fatal case which came from Chattanooga.

from Chattanooga, July 2d, "His brother is now sick

Dalton. The Columbus Sun states that a traveler arrived in the morning, was taken sick at 4 P. M., and died at 10 P. M. with the disease. Several bad cases of cholera-morbus in town, but none have so far proved fatal."

Calhoun County. The Eufaula News states that a prominent lawyer of Eufaula died June 18th in Calhoun County, of "a very violent attack of cholera-morbus."

Columbus. The Montgomery (Ala.) Journal, July 30, 1873: "They have the 'cramp colic' at Columbus. One death last week from this cause."

FLORIDA.

The Jacksonville Union of July 1st mentions a death from cholera at Gainesville, and adds, "Fatal cases have also been reported at Cedar Keys, and elsewhere" in the State.