The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-15
THE CHOLERA TRACK.
Its Line Of March Last Year and Up
TO This Time I'm 1871.

From the British Medical JournaLl a.
1t is extremely important at this mo-
ment to trace the course Of the Asiatic
cholera during the last year, and to de-
fine its line of march up to this time.
1t is full of instruction, and not without
elements of promise. Dr.. Fauval, one
of the most competent authorities, has
analysed the official documents. and bis
conclusions are worth knowing. Itwas
in 1870 that the alarm was given at
Constantinople of the outbreak OF
cholera at Taganrog, on the
Sea Of Azof and at Rostoff,
on the Don. Soon the principal
cities of the Russian coast of the Black
Sea were attacked in the course of the
month of August-Kerich, Berdiansk,
Theodosia, Odessa, and even Poti-
whence the disease propagated itself
into the interior OF the Caucasian
provinces. As usual, the rapid propa.
CATION along the Russian coast coinci-
ded with the arrival, by steamship, or
travellers starting from the infected
points. There was no mistaking that
it was an epidemic of Asiatic cholera
coming from the interior of Russia with
the movement produced by the trans-
port Of grain to the point Of embark
ment. This epidemic was otherwise
remarkable for the slightness of its in
tensity-that is, for the small number
of attacks. At the end of September it
was everywhere on the decline, and
subsequently died out along the coast.
An important fact to be observed in re-
gard to this epidemic is, that,
thanks to the measures Of quarantine
enforced by the Ottoman sanitary au-
thorities, the Turkish coast was COM
pletely saved from the disease. in spite
of the numerous arrivals from the in
fected ports. Thus, from the I'd Of Au-
gust to the Dist OF September, not fewer
than seven hundred shi ps-among
which were several having cholera on
boarl-were submitted to quarantine at
the mouth of the Bosphorus. Whence
did this epidemic come? The first idea
which occurs is that this was simply an
extension OF the malady which regned
at the commencement Of the year in the
provinces Of Central Russia, and was
propagated to the south with the COM
mercial movement above mentioned
At Constantinople another opinion is
entertained. They have the con-
viction, based on documents, the value
Of which is not yet ascertained by the
Continental authorities, that this cpl
demic, and even that Of the close
OF 1869, was due to Persian i'm
portation. The disease is declared to
have broken out at Mini Novgorod at
the time Of the fair and with the arr-
val of the Persian merchants. This
question is one which, as DR.. Fauval
points out, is of gaeat European i'm
portacne. IT, as the prevalent opinion
runs, the actual epidemic be only Sc
quence Of the importation OF 1865,
recrudescence such as is often observed
in imperfectly extinguished foci of dis
ease this epidemic is distinguished from
those which preceded it in its course Of
invasion, and would tend to prove that
cholera has found in Russia conditions
favorable to its genesis and acclimatiza-
ton. If, on the other hand, the exist
ing epidemic have for its origin a Per-
sian importation, it falls then under the
ordinary rule of epidemics of cholera
due to reimportation Of the disease.
This is a question which it behooves
the sanitary administrators to solve.