Cholera
Cholera is one of the most severe diseases of the
intestines. It is a serious affliction, involving the lower part of the small
bowel. It is a waterborne disease and is common during the monsoons. The
mortality rate for this disease has been quite high. The disease strikes
suddenly and fills the intestinal canal with bacilli which die rapidly and
leave the person quickly, alive or dead. It comes as a fell epidemic and
creates havoc but subsides quickly in the locality. Those who are susceptible
to it are carried away and those who are left alive are immune to it. Thus
after an epidemic in a non-epidemic area, there is no re-visitation in the
locality for two or three years.
The original home of cholera is Bengal in India . It
spread from this country during the 19th century in a series of
epidemics along the trade routes. It reached Japan
and also Astrakhan ,
in Russian, in 1817. The disease spread to Moscow
in 1826, Berlin in 1831 and London
and Paris in
1832. Subsequently, it spread to Canada
and several countries in Europe . However, by
1895, cholera had disappeared from Europe .
Symptoms
Cholera appears in three stages. In the first stage,
the patient suffers from mild diarrhea and vomiting, which worsens rapidly. The
motions become watery, containing no fecal matter. The patient feels severe
cramps in the muscles of the abdomen and limbs, resulting from lack of salts.
The temperature rises but the skin is generally cold and blue and the pulse is
weak. Taking water to quench thirst dilutes the body salt still further, and
makes the cramps worse. In the second stage of collapse, the body becomes
colder, the skin dry, wrinkled and purple. Voice becomes weak and husky while
the urine looks dark and formation is less, or altogether absent. It is in this
‘algid’ stage that the patient may die, as early as 24 hours after the onset of
the symptoms.
In the third stage, recovery follows in favourable
cases. All the changes seem to reverse themselves, the fluid loss decreases and
there is improvement in the general condition. Even at this stage, a relapse
may occur or the patient may sink into a condition resembling typhoid fever. The
condition may deteriorate over a period of two or three weeks. During this
stage of reaction, the temperature may rise and the patient may be in danger
from pneumonia.
Causes
Cholera is caused by a short, curved, rod-shaped germ
known as vibrio cholera. This germ produces a powerful poison or endotoxin. It
is spread by flies and water contaminated by the germs. The real cause of
disease, however, is the toxic and devitalized condition of the system brought
about by incorrect feeding habits and faulty style of living. This condition
facilitates invasion of cholera germs.
Treatment
The treatment should in the beginning aim at
combating the loss of fluids and salts from the body. To allay thirst, water,
soda water or green coconut water should be given for sipping although this may
be thrown out by vomiting. Therefore, only small quantities of water should be given
repeatedly, as these may remain for sometime within the stomach and stay of
every one minutes means some absorption. Ice may be given for sucking. This
will reduce internal temperature and restrict the tendency to vomit.
Intravenous infusions of saline solution should be given to compensate for the
loss of fluids and salts from the body. The patient may require five liters or
more a day. Care should, however, be taken to avoid water logging the patient. Potassium
may be added to the infused fluid. Rectal saline may sometimes prove useful for
adults. Normally, half a liter of saline, with 30 grams of glucose, should be
given per rectum every four hours until urine is passed freely.
After the acute stage of cholera is over, the patient
may be given green coconut water and barley water in very thin form. When the
stools begin to form, he should be given butter-milk. As he progresses towards
recovery, rice softened to semi-solid form mixed with curd, may be given. The
patient should not be given solid food till he has fully recovered. Liquid and
bland foods, which the patient can ingest without endangering a reoccurrence of
the malady, are best. Lemon, onion, green chillies, vinegar and mint should be
included in the daily diet during an epidemic of cholera.
Home Remedies
Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in
the treatment ofcholera. The foremost among these is the use of lemon (bara
nimbu). The juice of this fruit can kill cholera bacilli within a short time.
It is also a very effective and reliable preventive food item against cholera
during the epidemic. It can be taken in the form of sweetened or salted
beverages for this purpose. Taking of lemon with food as daily routine can also
prevent cholera.
The root bark of guava (amrud) is another valuable remedy. It is rich in tannis
and can be successfully employed in the form of concentrated decoction in
cholera. It will arrest vomiting and symptoms of diarrhea. According to
Culpepper, an eminent nutritionist for children and young people, nothing is
better to purge cholera than the leaves and flowers of peach (arhu). They
should be taken in the form of syrup or conserve. The leaves of drumstick
(sanjana) tree are also useful in treatment of this disease. A teaspoon of
fresh leaf-juice, mixed with honey and a glass of tender coconut water, can be
given two or three times as a herbal medicine in the treatment of cholera.
Onion is very
useful in cholera. About 30 grams of this vegetable and seven black peppers
should be finely pounded in a pestle and given to the patient. It allays thirst
and restlessness and the patient feels better. The fresh juice of bitter gourd
(karela) is another effective medicine in the early stages of cholera. Two
teaspoons of this juice, mixed with an equal quantity of white onion juice and
a teaspoon of lime juice, should be given. Cholera can be controlled only by
rigid purification of water supplies and proper disposal of human wastes. In
case of the slightest doubt about the contamination of the water, it must be
boiled before use, for drinking and cooking purposes. All foodstuffs must be kept
covered and vegetables and fruits washed with a solution of potassium permanganate
before consumption. Other precautions against this disease include avoiding all
uncooked vegetables, thorough washing of hands by all those who handle food,
and elimination of all contacts with the disease.
Source: www.healthlibrary.com through www.scribd.com
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