no pandemic waves of
cholera.

I think it impossible to pump New York dock water into the sewers, and
that it would be very injurious if it could be done. Almost all our
sewers empty into the docks, and the water there is of the foulest kind.
I do not believe in a long quarantine, and think that of the Dutch is the
best. They only detained the sick, but took the addresses of all who were
let through, or kept back all their soiled clothing, which they had
washed, disinfected, and sent after their owners in three days.

St. Louis still has 20,000 privy pits and as many surface wells. The
importation of cholera into St. Louis is well proved for 1832, 1848,
1849, 1854, 1866, and 1873. Those who used surface well water suffered
much more than those who drank Mississippi water, however foul that may
have been. The history of cholera in St. Louis has been better and more
accurately written up quite lately by Mr. Robert Moore, civil engineer,
than that of any city in this country. He has kindly given me maps of the
city, with every case marked down, with street and number, for all the
epidemic.

Hypodermic injections of atropine and morphine have failed sadly in many
cases. Subcutaneous injections of large quantities of salt and water,
with some soda, and large rectal injections of tannin and laudanum have
been very successful in Italy. If there is plenty of acid gastric juice
in the stomach, the cholera poison and microbes may be swallowed with
impunity. The worst cases of cholera are produced by drinking large
quantities of cholera contaminated water, when the stomach is empty and
alkaline. I think it probable that large quantities, as much as the
thirst requires, of a weak acid water will prove very beneficial in
cholera. Water slightly acidulated with sulphuric, nitric, or muriatic
acid will probably be the best, but it is hoped that phosphoric, acetic,
and lactic acids will prove equally good. Lemon juice and vinegar are
merely acetates and citrates of potash, and are not as good.

* * * * *

It seems that the offensive smells noticed in the English Houses of
Parliament last session have been traced to their source. It is found
that the main sewer of the House of Commons is very large and out of all
proportion to the requirements, is of two different levels, and
discharges into the street sewer within eighteen inches of the bottom of
the latter drain. There is thus a constant backflow of