DOCUMENTS COMMUNICATED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR, CONCERNING THE SPREAD OF THE ASIATIC CHOLERA. SUBMITTED TO THE HOUSE, OCTOBER 19, 1865. Darlington:: TIMES BOOK AND JOB PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT. 1865. * s ( .% I DOCUMENTS COMMUNICATEI) TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY v • HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR, CONCERNING THE SPREAD OF THE ASIATIC CHOLERA. SUBMITTED TO THE HOUSE, OCTOBER 19,1865. Wm %-a.x I In" $ tan: TIMES BOOK AND JOB PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT. 1865. Ik Hocse of Representatives, ) October 19, 1865. j Communication from the Governor. On motion of Mr. Hebard, the Letters and Documents therewith, were Ordered to lie, and the Clerk directed to procure five hundred copies thereof printed, for the use of the House. JOHN H. FLAGG. Clerk. DOCUMENTS. [1] State of Vermont, Executive Chamber, ) St. Albans, Oct. 2d, 1865. 5 •General : By direction of His Excellency, the Governor, I enclose herewith a letter from Jlon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, (U. S.) calling his attention to a despatch from the United States Minister at Constantinople, and the comments of the Acting Surgeon General of the United States thereon. These several communications have reference to the spread of the Asiatic Cholera and the necessary precautions to be adopted to prevent its introduction in this country. You will please examine the subject and make such .suggestions as may seem proper relative to any action necessary to be taken in this State. I am, General, "With high regard, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL WILLIAMS, Sec. of Civil and Military Affairs. Brigadier General Samuel W. Thayeb, Surgeon Gen. of Vermont. 4 [2] Department of State, ) Washington, Ist Sept., 1865. y To His Excellency, the Governor of the State of Vermont, Montpelier. Sir Your Excellency's serious attention is invited to the accompanying letter of the Acting Surgeon General of the Army, to whom the despatch from, the United States Minister at Constantinople, which it mentions, was referred. The expediency of adopting sanitary measures for the purpose of preventing the introduction of Asiatic Cholera into this country, seems well worthy of eration. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's Obedient Servant, WM. H. SEWARD. 5 [3] Surgeon General's Office, } Washington City, D. 0., Aug. 20, 1865. 5 Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State. Sir : In the absence of the Surgeon General, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 24th instant, enclosing despatch from Mr. Morris> Minister Resident of the United States at Constantinople, relative to the ravages of the Cholera in that quarter, &c. t and would most respectfully recommend that the attention, of the Governors of States be invited to the facts contained therein, with a view to the prompt establishment of rigid quarantine regulations, to prevent, if possible, the introduction of Cholera into this Country. The despatch from Mr. Morris, and enclosed paper, are herewith respectfully returned. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, C. H. CRANE, Acting Surgeon General. 6 [4] Legation of U. S. of America, ) Constantinople. $ Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State. Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of dispatch, No. 90. I regret to be obliged to state that the Cholera continues to extend its ravages, notwithstanding the efforts making by the Government to arrest its progress. Whatever may be the opinion of medical men, it is evident that it is propagated by contagion, as it fixed itself in the locality where the first deaths from an Egyptian man-ofwar took place, and has thence gradually extended itself over the Christian quarter of Pera, and through Stamboul, (Constantinople proper.) In the most infected region, Cassim Pacha, where it originally broke out — a quarter inhabited chiefly by workmen connected with the navy yard, and situated in a low valley, encompassed by high hills, with imperfect drainage — it has been very fatal, having attacked almost the entire population. Such have been its ravages there that the Government has ordered all the large khans and buildings, occupied by many persons together, to be vacated, and has provided tents for them on the heights surrounding the city. Had proper quarantine measures been taken at first, the introduction of the Cholera from Egypt might have been prevented. It seems to me, from our experience here, that it will be advisable in the United States to guard against it by the most rigid quarantine regulations. 7 Otherwise, if it once enters the country, it will be very fatal, in consequence of the great destitution prevailing in Virginia and other of the Southern States, and of the diseases which alway follow the train of war. The published number of deaths per day now is about one hundred and sixty, but they are known to largely exceed that number. The whole number of deaths from the origin of the disease to the present time is about two thousand. A great panic prevails among the population, particularly the Christian portion of it, and people are fleeing by thousands in every direction from the city. It is hoped, however, that the sanitary measures adopted by the Government, and pursued with great energy, will have the effect sooner or later to arrest the epidemic. With great respect, your obedient servant, E. JOY MORRIS. [5] THE CHOLERA. 1o the Editor of the Levant Herald : Sir : During the prevalence of the Cholera Morbus in the different parts of Turkey, any remarks that may tend to the better knowledge of the mysterious disease and its development may be acceptable, and I have therefore taken the liberty of addressing you the following, the result of my observations : Cholera can be communicated — 1. By persons direct, who carry the seeds of the disease (or vitiated air) with them. 2. By clothes or other artiches used by the sick. 3. By infected vessels or lazarettos, which, though 8 isolated, are too near healthy towns, and these generating vitiated air, it soon passes the imaginary boundaries of quarantine. In proof of these assertions I may remark — 1. The Cholera in the present instance was introduced in Arabia by pilgrims from India, bringing with them the seeds of the disease. It did not develop itself until the period of the Courban-Bairam, when the thousands of animals sacrificed, of every size, from a camel downward, were left to putrefy ; the effluvium, combined with the ascent of the holy hill by the pilgrims, bare-headed, in a burning tropical sun, and the free use of all kinds of unwholesome fruits and vegetables, was immediately sue. ceeded by the outbreak of the disease. At Djeddah it assumed a comparatively mild form, only ten per cent, of the cases proving fatal. The pilgrims on their passage through Egypt communicated the disease, which unfortunately proved to be of a much more fatal type. The Cholera was also introduced into Turkey, at the commencement of the Crimean war, by a French steamer with troops from Algiers. On her arrival at Gallipoli it was whispered a few cases had occurred during the voyage. The troops were> however, landed ; in a few days Cholera raged, and the French lost upwards of 2,000 men from the disease in this town alone. From Gallipoli the disease was introduced into the French hospital at Abydos by a few patients attacked with the malady sent from thence. Nearly the whole of the other patients were shortly after taken with Cholera. 2d. The disease from Abydos hospital was communicated to the Dardanelles. The first persons attacked 9 were the "washerwoman and her daughter, who washed the dirty linen sent to them from the hospital. They died, and the malady soon spread in the town. 3d. During the present outbreak of Cholera the precaution of placing in quarantine the vessels and passengers from Alexandria has not prevented the malady from spreading beyond the vessels and boundaries ot the lazarettos, as instanced at Constantinople,, Smyrna, and the Dardanelles, where it commenced chiefly in the im, mediate neighborhood of the lazaretto. It is certain the Egyptian frigate should never have been admitted into the vicinity of Constantinople, nor the steamers from Alexandria allowed to anchor near Smyrna or the Dardanelles, still less the passengers landed in the different lazarettos. Security, as far as we can judge of this mysterious malady, can only be attained by an early attention in preventing vessels from infected places performing their quarantine near healthy towns ; for, although the disease may not develop itself with the same intensity in one place as another, owing to atmospheric and other causes, still there is no doubt that Cholera can be communicated when the vicinity is too close, through the medium of the air, malgre quarantine and all its present regulations. Some distant point should have been chosen for the complete isolation of vessels coming from Alexandria, and there to perform their quarantine ; for instance, one of the numerous islands of the Archipelago, far away from any of the thickly-populated towns in Turkey. I am, &c, F. C. Dardanelles, July 26. 10 [6] State of Vermont, Office Surgeon General, > Burlington, October 6, 1865. £ To His Excellency, J. Gregory Smith, Governor of Vermont : Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor, transmitting communications in relation to Cholera, officially received by your Excellency from the Honorable, the Secretary of State, (U. S.) accompanied by letters from the Hon. E. J. Morris, the American Minister to Constantinople, and General C. H. Crane, Acting Surgeon General U. S. A., with instructions to "examine their contents, and make such suggestions as may seem proper relative to any action necessary to be taken in this State." That the Cholera is advancing Westward is authoritatively announced ; if it will visit this continent is uncertain, but we should not be surprised any day to learn of its appearance among us. The Cholera as an epidemic has occurred in almost all parts of the world. We have had four epidemics of the disease in this country, viz : in 1832, 1849, 1854 and 1858, and the track of its extraordinary visitations has not been invariably over the same section of country nor among the same class of persons, although it has usually prevailed to the greatest extent 'and with the greatest severity in crowded, ill ventilated and filthy places, and among uncleanly and dissipated persons, where other epidemics prevail, such as malignant fevers, dysentery and diseases of the skin. That the inhabitants of Vermont, during the prevalence 11 of previous epidemics of Cholera in this country have suffered less from the disease than those living in almost every other State in the Union, does not prove that it will not rage with fearful violence among us when it again visits our shores. Upon the principle, that it is easier and better "to prevent, than cure an evil," the . Chief Executive officers of most of our neighboring States, in anticipation of the probable advent of the disease at no very distant period, have been requested to call the attention of municipal authorities to the importance of adopting and enforcing more thorough sanitary regulations than now exist, to secure a general house-cleaning and street-cleansing in all cities and large towns. The Statutes of our commonwealth, confer upon city and town authorities ample power to adopt and enforce all necessary sanitary regulations for the protection of our citizens from exposure to the common causes of pestilence. . But, as circumstances have rarely, if ever transpired in this State, requiring an exercise of authority to adopt measures to protect our citizens from incursions of pestilence, it is not to be expected that any movements will be made towards such an object without the influence of a stimulant from some quarter. Therefore, I most respectfully suggest to your Excellency the propriety of. requesting our Legislature about to convene, to pass a resolution invitfng the attention of our municipal authorities to the importance of an earnest consideration of the subject, and request them to adopt such measures as will secure a general cleaning up of places in this State, particularly in our large towns and along the principal 12 public thoroughfares. " Cleanliness next to Godli^ ness " in the rank of Christian virtues, is not only conducive to health, but it is the greatest preventive of disease. In order to secure cleanliness, it is necessary to have an abundance of fresh water and good sewerage ; both are deficient in all our large towns, but in no place is there such a deficiency as to prevent our authorities from causing a thorough cleaning of their respective precincts. All decomposing animal and vegetable matter should be removed from cellars and the vicinity of dwellings — cellars and crowded apartments thoroughly cleaned and whitewashed — drains and sewers covered — cess pools and sinks frequently emptied and supplied with fresh lime — streets and alleys kept clean and free from accumulations of all kinds, and a free circulation of air, and temperance "in all things " encouraged, in all places and among all classes of persons. The attention of our authorities cannot be too early or too extensively directed to this matter whether the extraordinary epidemic advances upon this country or not. The permanent defence against it, cannot be too soon seen to and made good. Respectfully submitting the foregoing remarks and suggestions to your Excellency for consideration, I remain "With sentiments of high regard Your most obedient Servant, SAM'L W. THAYER, Surgeon General.