Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-09-05
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Cholera IN Europe during 1863,
1870 and 1871.

A report Just made TO the government
of the United Kingdom by the Medical
Department of the PriyY Council. in the
opinion Of a leading London journal,
suggests the necessity of drawing the
line somewhere sin the extension Of the
blessings of civilization upon which we
are prone to plume ourselves" The
Medical Department Commissioner. Mr..
John Netten Radcliffe, has, it would
seem. been engaged in an examination of
the source of the remarkable diffusion
of cholera throughout Europe during
1869. 1870 and 1871, and in his con-
illusions he finds himself at issue with
/ both Russian and French authorities.
/ DR.. Pelikan, the pireci0rOf the Imperial
Medical Department Of Russia, is of the
opinion that the diffusion was not a new
epidemic. but that il was a recrudescence
of the epidemic of 1865: and this view
is accepted by DR.. Fauyel Of the French
Academic de Medicine. Mr.. Radcliffe
is Of the opinion, founded upon a care
full study of the history Of precedent
epidemics, that the diffusion is due to
fresh importation. A man attacked by
the cholera would probably not greatly
care to discuss whether his malady was
consequent upon a recrudescence of an
ancient epidemic, or whether the infec-
ton had come fresh from its birthplace
in the East. But in view of certain
changes taking place in the Russian from
tier Of Asia, the question is one of con-
siderable importance to Europeans gen.
orally. At the period Of the Crimean
war the principal routes of traffic be-
tween Persia and Europe via Russia
were. first, from the Caspian ports of
Persia and through Transcaucasia and
its ports on the Caspian, and by the high
way across the Caucasus, to Austracan
and, secondly, from Tabriz through
Turkish territory to TrebiZond, and
thence by the Black Sea. Along the
former of these routes cholera had tray
eled into Europe in 1929, 1880 and 1S47;
along the Trcbizond route cholera had
never, so far as Mr. Radcliffe can dis
cover, spread to Europe.
Since 1864 there has, however, been a
great displacement in the direction of
traffic between Persia and Russia in Eu-
rope. Previous to that date the main
lines Of traffic were in the directions al
ready described, namely. by way Of As
t.acan and by way of TrebiZoDd but
since 1864 the traffic has been largely
diverted from these highways, to routes
trayersing Transcaucasia TO the coast Of
the Black Sea at Poti. and thence to the
ports Of South Russia. For several
years the Russian government has de-
voted much energy to the development
Of Poti as the principal trading port be-
tween its European provinces and Persia,
and to this end it has, by the construc-
ton and maintenance in Transcaucasia
Of roads, and by other means, largely
facilitated the traffic from the Persian
frontier to POti. Moreover, the same
facilities have led 10 BakU becoming a
port of import for the produce of the
Caspian provinces Of Persia. instead Of,
as formerly. a port chiefly for the trans
mission Of Persian produce to Astracan.
For now much of the traffic Of these
provinces. in place Of being conducted
by way Of Astracan and the NOlga, is
conducted by way of Baku and Poti.
Still further to develop the traffic from
Persia along the Poti route, a railway
has been projected by the Russian gov
eminent from Poti to Baku, by way of
Tiflis and Elizabethpol; and the first
portion of this line from POti 10 Iifiis,
il is anticipated, win be completed and
brought into use in the course of the
present year BY this new and yet I'M
finished route the cholera has, according
to Mr. Radcliffe, made its way into Eu-
rope during the last three years; and
when the line of communication shall
be complete, Englishmen in general, and
the Privy Council in particular, are
promised that contagious current in
Persia viii become current in Europe"
a very pleasant conclusion