The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-10-31
a History of cholera Epidemic.


attacks of cholera (somc of them severe,
within the last so years, Mecca, upon the
occurrence Of an outbreak, ordinarily takes
precedence among the gravely-suspected
sources Of disease. During the whole of last
summer cholera prevailed to an unusual extent
in Japan. There was also about the same
time very destructive epidemic raging in the
Souloustel and Philippine archipelago.
For the last 100 years or more cholera has
been treated as an institution" Of India,
and the mortality bills there are on large
scale. The last notable outbreak in India
was amongst an assemblage of pilgrims at
Allahabad in January last year. The first
historical academic, so far as Europe is con-
cerned, commenced towards the close of 1929.
Cholera then reappeared in Persia, and, gain
ing q footing in the Caucasian provinces
bordering upon the Caspian, it entered Russia
in Europe. The capitals, old and new, and
other parts of the great empire came under
the Beourge. Grave alarm spread over Europe,
whore the dread disease had put itself in
evidence for the first time 1t passed from
Russia to Austria, Hungary, and Germany
the victims in the latter country alone num-
bering more then 100000. Upon the 22nd of
October, 1881, 1t was brought in ship from
Germany to Sunderland on February 6, 1882,
1t appeared in Edinburgh, and on February Is
~ 1NOhht4hihLS anu LliutuUuSts anu On hdTCU
18Th it was reported from Dublin, and during
the year it prevailed extensively throughout
almost the entire kingdom. The exact num-
bers are unknown, as there was then 10
registration of deaths, but the deaths of ST.
547 person were reported through various
sources to the Board Of Health. France.
Spain, and Italy afterwards got their turn
Between March and August $4,000 people
died of the disease in Paris, where, as in
Hungary, the people, being suspicious of
occult poisoning, were excited TO madness
and murder" From France the cholera
crossed the Atlantic, and spread through
North and Central America. From Germany
it had previously travelled into Turkey. A
little while afterwards it presented itself in
Arabia, Egypt, and the Nile district and it
was general throughout North Africa in 1895.
In 1871 great epidemic broke out in India
and China, and, developing upon the lines of
the former epidemic, 1t reached Europe in |
1877, and, passing over the Continent, travelled |
to America and the West Indies, there being /
10000 cases in Jamaica in 1850. 1t was in |
October, lS4S, that the first cases became |
known in England. On June 3, 1919, the
deaths in Paris numbered ll9. On June IL |
the General Board of Health in England re-
ported that since the latter end of March the
disease had broken out in twelve different
parts of the metropolis, in p towns in Eng
land and Wales, and II towns in Scotland,
Up to this time there had been in this country
about 1000 deaths out of 800 attacks. Dur-
ing the week ending September Is the deaths
IN London were 1888, the ordinary average
then being 1905 By order Of the Queen. the
following day, Sunday, prayers were offered
up IN all the churches for the removal of the
scourge. The number of deaths from cholera
from June IL to October 2 in London alone
was l3,l6l. The sickness disappeared in the
middle Of October Out of a population of
1854, CSC in this country 53,293 died of
cholera, and 1887 of diarrhea.
England has had experience of four cpl
denies of Asiatic cholera. The two remain
ing outbreaks of which we have to speak
were much milder in character than those
already described. On September 4, 1865,
the disorder again broke out with great severi
ty in Newcastle, and North Shields and other
adjoining towns suffered greatly. In July,
1854, it again made its presence felt over the
whole of the metropolis. The epidemic reached
It's height in the second week of September.
almost on the same day that the epidemic of
1919 occasioned the highest mortality. Indeed,
as DR.. Sutherland reported to the General
Board of Health, there was remarkable
similarity throughout in the progress and
development of both epidemics. In the week
ending September there were 205O deaths
from cholera in London. The epidemic
reached its maximum in nine weeks, but the
mortality did not tell to that of the first week
until IL weeks after the maximum period
From the LIST of July TO the 10th of December q
he total mortality from cholera in London n
was lO,675, and from diarrhea 2GOl; while
rom typhus, it was l347. On the north side &C
u the Thames there was one death to 1853 in III
iabitants; of the south side the proportion pc
vas one to every los. During the autumn NJ
be terrible disease appeared in many parts of r
be kingdom, and in some cases the epidemic tn
vas severely felt. 1t was in the September of T.
his year that Lord Palmerston issued his ST
amous rebuke to the Presbytery of Edin-
,nTgh, which had suggested national fast. r.
when man has done his utmost for his own L
afety, said the Home Secretary, "then is
he time to invoke the blessing of heaven TO g,
ave effect to his exertions." In July, 1854, II
be alarming intelligence reached England
hat the cholera had appeared among our
roops 10 the Crimea. Regiments were reduced
800 or 400 sickly men. 1t took the Guards
wo marches 10 get over the ten miles of c
round lying between Alladyn and Varna.
lurlng an expedition to Kostendii nearly 5000
renchmen were swept away. For two years
he epidemic prevailed extensively on the
ointment, 10000 persons dying at Naples. n,
nd 1t also spread with great virulence over
orth and South America Ten years ELAPSED
eiore the awful scourge again visited Europe. i
rom June to July, 1885, il had ragged At
lexandIia, and in August it was causing
eaths at the rate of 1000 day in Constant
nople. The deaths in Constantinople had
cached nearly $4,000, when the great fire on On
sptember 5, which destroyed 1900 houses
ssides mosques and other public buildings {
retty summarily closed the career of ne
'idemic. At this time, also, it was 10 he
und in Russia, Italy, Spain, and France,
I'd Austria lost 10000 lives. In April. 1865
e cholera reached England, via Bristol ana
liverpool; bnt the number of deaths, il was
eat satisfaction to those persons who had
EN- interesting themselves between epidemics
the promotion of sanitary reform to known. +
q not materially affect the returns of NOR =
lity for the whole kingdom for the wear In Y.
e London district, however. 5975 persons
Cd Of cholera and 3i97 of diarrbna. princ;-
lily in the East-end. In describing otbo n
tastrophe in which $500 persisted in East
ndcn,' DR.. Farr hints not obscurely that If
IS very largely traceabie to the character of
water supply. Within a few weeks nv
d