Grayson County Texas -The Cholera Epidemic in the Denison Texas area in 1873 By Deb Haines *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:Deb Haines by - Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************** Original image of this page located: http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/grayson/images/450.jpg 450 NARRATIVE OF CHOLERA EPIDEMIC OF 1873 depressing effects they produce on the nervous system, have a won- derful tendency to induce an attack. With regard to treatment, my experience has led me to the con- clusion that the treatment of cholera, to be comparatively successful, must be commenced early, when the first symptoms of choleraic diarrhoea makes its appearance. I believe that a locality may be almost entirely saved from the scourge by adopting at once proper sanitary and hygienic measures; the treatment must consist more of prophylactic than cura- tive. When the disease first breaks out, all yards should be cleaned and water-closets disinfected, decaying vegetable substances removed, &c. People should observe regular habits, eat their accustomed food, avoid undue fatigue and excessive impulses of the mind, such as grief, and fear, or great anxiety, and see that all the functions of the body are kept in proper order. On the treatment of well-established cases, or those who have passed into collapse, I have nothing new to say, as volumes have been written on the subject. I will close these few remarks by giving my treatment of one of the worst cases I attended. Peter Linn, an Irishman, who worked in a brick-yard, was attacked on the 29th October, 1873. I was called to see him about 7 o’clock p. m., and found him in a collapsed condition, perfectly cold, even his tongue and breath, shrunken features, husky voice; he could not speak above a whisper; he had all the symptoms of approaching dissolution. At this advanced stage I did not see any use in giving medicine by the mouth, so I made a solution of one grain of strychnia, and with the hypodermic syringe injected it at different points all over the extremities until almost half of the mixture was used up. I did this in order, if possible, to arouse the action of the nervous system and establish the capillary circulation. I saw him the following morning when the alarm- ing symptoms had passed away; the heat of the body had returned; he took some nourishment and continued to improve, and finally got well. He suffered a little from singultus, from the effect of the large amount of strychnia and the manner in which it was used, as the patient was a very bad cholera subject. He was a man about fifty years of age, with a very feeble constitution and dissipated habits; his digestive organs were very much impaired by drinking bad whisky. I consider the strychnia used in this way at different points all over the extremities much better than giving it by the mouth, as in such cases the stomach and bowels are almost inactive, and very little certainty can be placed on medicines given in that way, and the greater number of points it is inserted the better. In the case I mentioned I used the syringe at eight different points, all over the feet and legs, hands and arms. [From the Sherman (Texas) Weekly Patriot, October 4, 1873.] "We were in Denison about an hour on Tuesday evening last on our return from Saint Louis, and we were informed by two reliable citizens of that place that on the day and night previous there had been nine or ten deaths from cholera, and that considerable excitement existed, many were leaving, and business perfectly dead. On Tuesday last and night following there were seven deaths, as we learn from Mr. Burke, who came down on Wednesday morning. The News of Denison is very silent on the subject; we think this is wrong, as the people should be fully advised. * * * Since the above was penned, we learn from Mr. O’Bannan that there were five deaths on Wednesday, October 11. * * We learn that up to Tuesday last there had been about thirty deaths at Denison from the prevailing disease, which has been called