1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 88 The new president’s ambitions

Cholera was a world disease in the nineteenth century.

Due to the short incubation period of cholera, it only takes three to five days to kill the host. For thousands of years, cholera has only raged in this magical place of the Ganges River in India.

But everything changed when the British colonized India.

The Indians took a British ship to make a pilgrimage to Arabia, and cholera followed their faith to Arabia.

Following the Arab region, Africa and the Mediterranean coastal regions also quickly fell, followed by Afghanistan and Russia, and soon spread to the entire European continent.

By 1832, this terrible disease arrived in North America along with the fast European merchant ships crossing the Atlantic, and the United States also fell.

The entire United States, especially the large cities in the eastern United States, has been shrouded in the clouds of the cholera epidemic since 1832.

When cholera was severe, even prosperous big cities like New York were lifeless, with hundreds of people dying almost every day.

Doctors are still at a loss to deal with this epidemic, and even the president himself cannot cure it.

President Fillmore, who had just taken office, was determined to eliminate cholera, which was a scourge in the United States.

This is an epidemic that even Britain is helpless to deal with, and it brings people as much fear as the Black Death in the Middle Ages.

If cholera can be defeated, Fillmore can not only enhance his prestige among the people, but also lay the foundation for his re-election three years later. (Fillmore succeeded the president as vice president, not the president who ran for office)

It can also make the United States proud in front of the European powers and improve the United States' international prestige. It is a beautiful thing that kills two birds with one stone.

Therefore, after Fillmore confirmed that California's cholera prevention and control experience was indeed effective, he issued a document on California's cholera prevention and control experience to all states and attached a manual.

He hopes states will try to fight cholera using California's approach to cholera.

New York is the largest city in the United States. In 1850, New York City had an urban population of nearly 700,000.

In 1850, the total population of the United States was only 23,192,000.

New York was the pride of Americans during this period, just as later generations of Chinese people like to compare Shanghai with international metropolises such as New York and Tokyo.

Whenever Americans of this era talk about New York, they also like to compare New York with international metropolises such as London and Paris.

Although there is still a big gap between New York and London and Paris at this time.

London's urban population has exceeded two million, and it is still the financial center of the world. Paris, which is slightly behind London, has also exceeded one million people, making it the second largest city in Europe after London.

Urban planning in this era was generally poor, especially in cities like New York that were founded relatively early.

The urban drainage system is poor, and apart from the main streets, there are only a handful of streets that have been hardened.

Municipal services are also imperfect, the city's sanitation situation is worrying, and people's hygiene awareness is not very good.

Especially in slums where sewage and excrement flow across the street, mosquitoes and flies are flying everywhere, and there is a foul smell.

This is simply a hotbed of epidemics.

Except for the politicians who reluctantly come here to win votes during the election, hold their noses in disgust, and make beautiful promises to the ragged poor people, but they always fail to fulfill them, few celebrities will care about them.

This forgotten corner.

Speaking of celebrities, at this time, the New York Medical Association and famous local doctors were gathering together to discuss documents and manuals sent by Washington.

The buildings in New York are getting taller and taller, so that the lighting in low-rise buildings is getting worse and worse.

Even during the day, the New York Medical Association building had to be lit with expensive whale oil lamps.

"The government is rushing to treat the disease. Politicians in Washington, including the new president, don't understand cholera at all. I don't believe that cholera can be cured with the level of wild doctors in California. Many of them are not even qualified to practice medicine."

Not even qualified."

By the light of the whale oil lamp, Slattery, the president of the New York Medical Association, hastily read the so-called summary of California's epidemic prevention experience and the cholera prevention and control manual that he thought was ridiculous.

Slattery buttoned the sturdy oak desk to attract the doctors' attention.

He emphasized: "All of us here are the most skilled doctors in New York. I don't think anyone knows cholera better than us."

“These ignorant wild doctors thought they were lucky enough to have cured a few cholera patients, so they exaggerated and claimed to have controlled cholera in the entire California.

How dare you openly question the miasma theory, a recognized authority in the medical community? Do the professional doctors in New York and even London have shallower knowledge than they do?"

Dr. Gerald, who immigrated to New York during President Monroe's time, also scorned this.

Before immigrating to New York, his father and grandfather were already well-known doctors in London and had treated many nobles and celebrities.

"The words of those doctors in California who are blinded by gold cannot be trusted! Those people only have gold in their eyes."

Slattery said.

He didn't want to believe that the medical skills of doctors in New York were inferior to those wild doctors in California.

"The reality is that we, the doctors who know best about cholera, are still helpless to do anything about cholera."

Robert, vice president of the New York Medical Association, disagreed and refuted Straley's view.

"I know this Dr. Robinson. He and I were classmates and good friends. His wife and daughter both died of cholera. He went to California to pan for gold in order to escape reality, get out of this shadow, and find a new life.

His medical skills are better than mine, and I also know his character well. He will not make fun of this matter where human life is at stake.

Gentlemen, I received Dr. Robinson's letter two weeks ago and used his method to cure fifty-six cholera patients. Only one old gentleman with a weak immune system died unfortunately.

Facts speak louder than words, I think we should put aside our arrogance and prejudice and adopt all reasonable opinions.

Whether you are a doctor in New York or a doctor in California, everyone is a doctor, there is no distinction between high and low."

After listening to Vice President Robert's speech, the doctors talked a lot. They had also heard about Dr. Robert's heroic deeds of curing fifty-six cholera patients in two weeks.

But they didn't expect that Robert was using a method from California to cure cholera.

"Even if it is true, what are you going to do? Mr. Robert, New York is an international metropolis. New York City alone has a population of 700,000. The population of the entire California may not be one-tenth of New York's!

If they follow their method to isolate and treat cholera patients, it will require the use of government power, cost a lot of money, and will also have an impact on New York's economy.

If it can be cured, it's a blessing. If it can't be cured, who will bear the responsibility? We doctors?" Slattery still disagrees with these treatment plans.

"Yes, Doctor Robert, many of those cholera patients are poor people in the slums. They can't afford the high medical fees. To cure them, we have to pay for the medical expenses." Gerald stood firmly in front of President Slater.

Benefit this side.

"I will go visit Governor Hamilton Fish, and since the government has sent us these documents, I think the government is also determined to defeat cholera.

Of course, before visiting Governor Fish, I will first visit the mayor and seek his support.

At least let the mayor order to shut down the water pumps in the slums. I have seen the water there. It exudes an indescribable stench. It must be a contaminated water source and is no longer suitable for drinking." Robert said.

"Robert, are you crazy? Turn off the water supply in the slums, and those beggars will fight you to death! Let me declare in advance that this is your personal suggestion and has nothing to do with me or the New York Medical Association!" Slattery said.

"California's medical conditions are far inferior to ours in New York. There is no reason why New York can't do what California can do." Robert said to Slattery in a mocking tone.

"Mr. Slattery, you look down on the wild doctors in California, but your current performance is not as good as them. At least they dare to take action instead of sitting in the office drinking coffee and talking."

"Robert! What do you mean?! Please remember, I am the president of the New York Medical Association, and I am also a member of the House of Representatives. Please speak with respect!" Slattery stood up and shouted harshly.

road.

"That is even more shameful, Mr. Slattery. Not only are you an incompetent doctor, you are also an incompetent Member of Parliament, Your Excellency."

People who have different opinions do not agree with each other, and Robert is too lazy to waste words with insects like Slattery.

He turned around and left gracefully. After a short period of thinking, some conscientious doctors quickly made a decision and followed Robert out of the medical association.

(End of chapter)