The Plague of the Old West by Rhonda Frankhouser

Fastest Killer in the Old West

I apologize ahead of time for choosing an overworked topic, but these are the times we're living in. It pays to be informed.

With the threat of the COVID-19 looming, I thought it might be interesting to blog about another invisible killer that ravaged the old west back in the 1800s. This plague almost certainly altered the course of history for more than one cowboy. 

Cholera , or the 'Blue Death' is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in previously healthy people. Modern sewage and water treatment have virtually eliminated cholera in industrialized countries.

Before Cholera made its way to American shores, the 'First Cholera Pandemic' killed hundreds of thousands in India, Southeast Asia, and Central Europe starting in the year 1819. The Second Cholera Pandemic, beginning in 1829, spread quickly through Russia, Germany, Hungary, Egypt, through London, Paris, Quebec, Ontario, then finally New York.

Records show Cholera reached America in 1832. 

The disease continued to wreck havoc as new Americans, searching for a better life, traveled along the Mississippi River System. Still, there was no definitive understanding of how the disease was spread.

Cholera Sign

The Cholera Pandemic, from 1849-1855 killed an estimated twelve thousand ill-fated immigrants from England and Ireland who carried the disease along the California, Mormon, and Oregon Trails. From 1866-1896, fifty thousand more lives were lost in North America alone. It is believed between the 2nd and 3rd Cholera Pandemics, 150,000 new Americans perished between 1832-1849. And that number most likely did not account for native american lives lost.

Some Famous Americans Killed by Cholera

• James Polk, 11th President of the United States
• Dr. Sextus Barbour, US Congressman from Virginia
• Thomas Metcalf, Governor of Kentucky
• Alexander Buckner, Senator from Missouri
• John Brant, Mohawk Chief and Government Official

The hard truth is, in spite of the development of vaccine in 1896 by German scientist, Willhelm Kolle, Cholera has not been wiped from the face of the earth. Every once in a while we'll hear of some unfortunate country dealing with yet another outbreak. An estimated 2.9 million people are affected by the disease each year around the world. Even with modern technology and medicine at our disposal, it can still kill.

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COVID-19 MAGNIFIED

Cholera vs. Coronavirus (COVID-19)

I'm by no means a medical professional, and these comparisons are not to be taken as medical advice, but aside from the micro-organism itself, cleanliness seems to be a key factor in protecting you and your family from both of these diseases. We are a victim of our own environment in any pandemic. Those affected by Cholera would surely have curbed the spread had they realized practicing more sanitary bathroom habits and boiling their water could help. Granted, the lack of proper plumbing and sewage disposal played a major part in the speed and severity of the spread, but just the knowledge that the virus was water-borne could have saved an untold number of lives. 

We know things about Coronavirus that can help us! Though we are still discovering all the ways COVID-19 can be spread, we KNOW its passed from person to person via highly infectious airborne micro-organisms. We KNOW they can survive on surfaces and clothing. What we don't know is what else can be spreading the disease? How long it really lives? And what will stop it?


All we can do is follow guidelines set by the CDC, and pray that the brilliant minds of our world come up with a vaccine, a cure, and a way to stop the invasion.

What can we do about it? 

Listen to the authorities and do our part! 

It's time for us all to pull together on this. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it's a start.

1. PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING
2. WASH YOUR HANDS
3. STAY AT HOME UNLESS YOU HAVE TO LEAVE
4. WIPE DOWN ALL SURFACES
5. WASH CLOTHES AS THEY COME IN FROM THE OUTSIDE
6. LEAVE YOUR SHOES OUTSIDE
7. DRINK LOTS OF WATER AND WARM LIQUIDS
8. BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
9. PAY ATTENTION TO THE ALERTS AND HEED THEIR INSTRUCTION

THE SCARY TRUTH - Just like many other bacterial and viral infections, COVID-19 is just the latest in a long history of Coronavirus strands to rear its ugly head. It sucks, but it's true. It'll be a constant fight even after a vaccine is created. And if we don't heed the advice of the authorities and follow every guideline, we will most likely be one of those who succumbs, rather than survive.

Stay safe out there and thanks for listening.

Rhonda Frankhouser is an award-winning novelist of mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. California native, now Georgia girl, loves beyond imagining, her own knight in shining armor, two pug sisters, and an overweight lab named Dutch. www.rhondafrankhouserbooks.com