The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-08-25
The asiatic Cholera.

THE accounts from different foreign
countries of the temperance OF Ash
attic Cholera, have very naturally CIV
en- rise to apprehensions in this coun-
try, for our safety against the vista
ton Of this much-dreaded scourge.
Its progress Is slow and not such as to
cause any serious alarm of its appear
ance in the United States during the
present year. 1t has not crossed the
line that divides Polish Russia from
Germany; and such sanitary meas
ures have been taken as make it
doubtful whether 1t will penetrate far
into Western Europe. Medical science,
Boards of Health, and municipal reg
ulations have robbed the disease of
much Of its terror, though none Of
them have provided aspecific against
it. 1t has not, however, manifested
itself this year in so malignant form
as in 1866, or on prior occasions, and
should it reach our shores, will proba-
bly, have taken much milder form
than has heretofore attended 1t.
The cholera as an epidemic first APP
peared in this century In 1917, and had
its origin In the usual breeding place,
the Delta of the Ganges. In 1918 1t
had difiused itself irreguIarly over the
whole of the Indian Penjnsula-some
districts along the lines Of Its move
ment escaping the scourge altogether.
During the same year, 1878, it ravaged
various countries of Eastern Asia,
reached China in 1890, and in 1921
passed slowly over the Islands Of the
Indian Archipelago. In 1921 it ira
versed the shores of the Persian Gull,
and after touching various parts of
Persia, Arabia. and Syria, closely
ritories. During the next four years
all traces Of the pestilence disappeared.
In 1928, it broke out suddenly In Oren-
berg, but almost as suddenly ceased.
In 1929 it broke out in the same Dis
trict, and gathering strength and viru-
lence as it moved, advanced, in 1880,
through Southern Russia, reaching
Moscow In September and Petersburg
the year following. In March 1881,
Warsaw, in Russian Poland, was at
tackled, Danzig in May, Berlin, Prus-
STA, in August, and Sunderland, Eng
land, In October. In 1882 it appeared
almost simultaneously in London and
Paris, and four months later crossed
the Atlantic and struck the seabosrd
cities of the United States. After this
the epidemic appears to have spent it
self, for we hear nothing of it until
1913, when it again spread from the
Ganges over India, reached Russia in
1917, Paris and Glasgow in 1913, and
London, and other county towns in
England, in 1Si9.
On the latter occasion it can scarcely
be said to have crossed the Atlantic Mt
all. Some few cases were reported,
but the disease did not become cpl
demic.
From these accounts Of the previous
visitations of he cholera, it will be
noted that its course from India and
Persia has always been steadily west
ward, but with northerly reflections.
1t has also been remarked by those
who have studied carefully its course,
and the time at which it has made its
appearance in various places, that its
rate of progress has thus far invariably
been uniform. Bearing this fact In
mind, it viii be noticed that the course
| of the cholera at the present time Is
along the same line Of route it took in
1917 and 1913, and that, in the former
case, it struck the British Islands at
Sunderland in October, 1881, and in
the latter, at Glasgow in 1915. In the
first case it did not make its appear
ance in London, until February, 1882,
and did not reach the United States
until June OF the same year. Il was,
therefore, eight months from the time
OF its appearance at the English port
of Sunderland, where it is again said
to be, before it reached the United
States. When, fifteen years later, it
proved so fatal in London and Paris, ii
scarcely touched the United States.
We may, therefore, fairly conclude,
from this showing, that this terrible
epidemic is not likely TO make its pre-
sence felt among us during the present
year, and possibly it may not visit Us
at all.