The directors of the Penitentiary, in consequence of the prevalence of the Cholera in the institution, recommend to the Sheriffs of the State to retain in their custody all prisoners under sentence, so long as the law will permit.
The State Journal of July 10th publishes the names of sixteen other convicts who died in the preceding twenty-four hours. The editor makes the following excellent remarks on the subject of its fatal presence in the Penitentiary:
“The fearful ravages of this disease in our State Prison may be attributed to several causes. In consequence of a vicious course of life, many, doubtless, of the convicts have constitutions impaired and rendered susceptible of disease. The economy of the system, under confinement such as is incurred by prisoners, has a tendency to reduce the quantity of blood, and, as a consequence of vitality. The evidence of the diminished quantity of blood can be seen in the sallow and colorless complexions of the convicts, and as cholera is a disease whose effect is to drain away the fluid ingredients of the tide of life, they more readily give way under its attacks. The want of a free circulation of air, the consequence (perhaps necessary) of the manner in which the prison is constructed, has a tendency to reduce the quantity of blood by failing to supply the lungs with oxygen for a larger amount, and also to retard recovery by a tardy and inefficient oxygenation of what remains. The insidious manner in which the disease makes its approaches is doubtless a great cause of its mortality. Causing little or no pain in its first stages, it becomes fastened with fatal tenacity upon the victim before he is aware. The panic caused by the mortality—the vague and undefined fear of the hospital—that apathy which seizes upon the cholera patient with the very first symptoms, rendering him indifferent to his fate, or prone to disbelieve in the presence of danger—the necessity of enforcing the silent system, obliging the convict to ponder upon his danger, rather than get rid of his fears by conversation—all these have their effects to aggravate the ravages of disease and to diminish the chances of recovery.”
The State Journal of the 11th announces the death of sixteen other convicts, and, among them Charles Bortis of Lebanon. This makes sixty since the 30th of June. The same paper announces three deaths among the citizens of Columbus, including Dr. B. F. Gard, a resident physician of the city, once a member of the Legislature, and recently one of the Directors of the Penitentiary. He was engaged in attending upon the sick at the State Prison, in apparent health, every day. He was seized at eleven o’clock at night on the 10th and died at one o’clock next day.
P.S. We have since learned the death of Dr. Gard is a mistake.