Smyrna times., 1882-02-15
The Threat of a Cholera Visit.

been slowly but steadily spreading in Asia
until it has reached Japan OH the one
border and Arabia on the other. 1t ap-
peared in Bangkok, Siam, in the latter
part Of June, and cases were reported in
Chinese ports i'll July and August, al
though it did not take the form of an
| epidemic. The existence Of cholera in
| kagoshma was announced by the Japan
csc Government early in september, and
| the United States consular officers were
warned to keep American citizens out Of
the infected districts.
Passing to the West, cholera appeared
at Alden, a cOaling station on the south
coast of Arabia, in July, and was announ-
ced at Mecca in September. In November,
there was a great increase Of the disease
at Mecca, producing about one thousand
deaths during the first week. The in
crease was attributed in part to the arrival
of a large number of pilgrims from India :;
in part to the foul atmosphere caused by
the putrefying remains of great numbers
Of sheep which had been slaughtered near
the city. The pilgrims returning from
Mecca carried the disease to Jcdda. on the
Red Sea, and to Medina. On the 7th Of
November, thirty-fve hundred pilgrims
were in quarantine at ,Jedda, and twenty
five deaths from cholera had occurred
amOAg them. Medina seems to have
suffered more severely than Mecca.
The international Sanitary Council, in
! 4 special session at Constantinople. has
prepared ! series of regulations intended
to keep the disease at pay, and thus far it
has not appeared in Egypt or Europe 1t
appears that the disease existed at Alden
month before either the Egyptian or Otto
man sanitary administration was aware
of it,
nder these circumstances, it may be
well for the sanitary authorities Of this
country to consider carefully the proba-
bilities Of the invasion of America by this
pestilcnce, either from the East or from
the West, and what steps, if any, should
be taken under the circumstances. In
the first place, the danger Of importing
the disease from Japan is probably very
small. The precautions which have been
taken by the Japanese Government with
regard to the infected districts are such
that 1t is very unlikely that any person or
thing which could be source of the dis
! ease can gain admission to the steamers
plying between Japan and California.
From the East, the immediate danger
to this country is also small. We have
had cholera in epidemic form five times
within the century; viz, in 1929, 1915
40, 1854, lSG5-G6, and in 1878. Ia case, it
has been preceded for a period of from
one to three years by an outbreak of the
disease in Europe, and in each its course
has followed the lines of emigration, more
especially those from Northern Germany.
And, whenever the cholera has prevailed
extensively i'll Europe, it has, sooner or
later, reached this country, although it
has not always produced an epidemic :;
Tor cholera ships have arrived at the port
of New York in sixteen different wears,
while the disease has spread in but eight
of these years.
Our experience in regard to this disease
! corresponds in tho main with the conclu-
si0ns of the international conferences of
Constantinople and Vienna which were
devoted to this subject. These conclu-
sions are that it is a specific disease en-
dcmic in india, propagated thence by the
pllgrimases, not contagious from person
to person, but usually transferred from
place to place by persons suffering with
the disease, although often only in the
very mild and scarcely noticeable form of
the prcmonitory diarhra. Twice the
disease has been imported into Egypt and
countries bordering ON Europe by the
pilgrimage to Mecca. The assisting causes
ofcholera are overcrowding, contaminated
water, emanations from soil imprcgnated
with organic matter or from sewers or
prlvles, and, i'll general, filth of all sorts
The specific mOrblic agent is contained in
the ejecta from cholera patients, although
perhaps not in form to produce the dis
ease so long as these are fresh. Soil con-
taminated with these ejccta is, however.
extremely dangerous and clothing, bed
ding or woven stu1s used by cholera
patients, and especially if soied with
their ejccta, may become the means of
transmission Of the disease. In 1873. the
disease was probably carried to points
west of the Mississippi in the baggage of
emigrants, which baggage had not been
opened from the time it was packed in
Northern Germany until it arrived at its
destination.
Judging from past experience, we need
have no apprehension ofimmedate danger.
so long as cholera has not made its appear
ance in Europe. How far the present in
ternational sanitary regulations for points
OH the Red Sea and the Mediterranean
have been carried out, is uncertain; the
regulations seem fairly good, but it is to
be feared that they will not be thoroughly
enforced, and that cholera will bo in Eu-
rope this year, or, at the latest, within two
years.-The american.