The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-31
The Ravages Of cholera in Japan.

The official and carefully tabulated
reports of the ravages of the cholera in
Japan, as contained i'm the Toxic Times
of Sept. 20, show that the disease has
been far more prevalent and fatal than
has been generally supposed. The fig
ures are brought down to the 18th of
September. The first case recorded was
in the district of Zehime, on the 22d of
April, and from that date down to the
18th Of September--a period ofless than
five mofiths-the whole number of cases
In the Empire was 135.852. OF this
number, "a ,250 died, 81, 1867 were cured,
and 50,235 were under treatment. The
percentage of mortality, on the basis Of
these totals, is 54.66, but this percent
age reckons the number still under
treatment as If they were cured. II is
noticeable that the ratio of deaths TO the
cases cured is as 8 1-2 to l. In some of
the districts included in the table the
mortality reaches the frightfully large
percentage of 1886, 1855, and even
84.21. These districts, however, are
those in which the disease has spent its
force, and the number of patients now
under treatment is small. The percent
age therefore represent the final ac-
count, and gives more just idea of the
actual havoc caused by the disease than
is afforded by the percentage on the to-
tails.
The most destructive type of the dis
ease in Europe or America, the Times
observes, rarely removes half of those
whom 1t attacks, bnt the percentage in
Japan, as already indicated, has been
much larger than that. In Toxic and
kanagwa, numerically the visitation
has been light. Out of populations of
nine and seven hundred thousand re-
spectively, only about thirteen hundred
and ten hundred have died. But in the
province of Ishikawa, fifteen thousand
persons have met their deaths, and
eleven thousand are still under treat
ment. The slaughter there has only
occupied two months and half, and the
increase of cases was five thousand in
one week. The disease is terribly ram
pant there, and the deaths in the week
ending Sept. 13, reached two thousand.
Although the change of weather from
the intense heat of August to the milder
temperature of September diminished,
to certain extent, the ravages of the
epidemic, there were nearly ten thou
sand new cases reported during the
same week.
These facts, gathered from official
sources, show how serious aid destruct-
i've the prevailing epidemic in Japan
has been. They bring out also in strong
relief the cruelty and injustice of the
English and German representatives in
Japan who insisted on breaking down
the quarantine regulations, and threat
ened the use of force if necessary to that
end. Excepting in the opium wars,
when England outraged humanity and
civilization by resorting to military
measures to force a baleful drug upon
an unwilling people, there has been no
more striking instance of the arrogance
of the Western Powers in treating with
the Eastern nations than in the course
lately adopted with reference to quaran-
tine in Japan. The result in japan has
been bitterness and irritation of feel
ing which will not easily pass away.
Both China and Japan are making such
progress in civilization and in power
that they will soon be capable of fresent.
ing the snubs and insults of European
bullies. A wise and friendly policy on
the part of our Government toward both
the Eastern powers will result in a
great improvement in our commerce,
and will strengthen relations which are
already very cordial, as compared with
those maintained by the dominecring
Powers of Europe. Boston Journal.