Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-26
ASIATIC CHOLERA.
HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTIVE
DISEASE.

nah-The Epidemic of 1884 and 1866.
The terrible ravages of cholera in Egypt
and the East recall to many the dread
disease as it existed in this country.
Although il has prevailed twice in eavan-
nah during the present century, there IS
little fear that we shall ever again suffer
from its devastations.
The Asiatic cholera it is fair to call a
modern disease. Some medical antigua
rians claim to find note Of it in Hippo
crates and Galen, but it was first care
fully described in Bengal in 1862. and it
made It's appearance in Europe and
America barely more than half century
ago.
The NEWS has been at pains to consult
reliable authorities. and finds that the
first great epidemic was that OF 1917, IN
the Delta of the Ganges, in India, and
from that time up to 1892, the date OF its
appearance in this country, the progress
Of the disease and its diffusion over a
large portion of the globe can be clearly
traced. The epidemic originated in a re-
mote Indian district about the end of
Nav or beginning of June, 1871. 1t did
not during that year extend beyond
the territory of Lower Bengal; but in 1918
and the early part of 1919 it ditfused itself
throughout the entire length and breadth
of the Indian peninsula, moving in dIVerg-
ing lines and attacking in succession
places generally more remote from the
seat of its origin and situated in various
directions from it, but leaving untouched
many districts between its lines of move
ment.
IT'S RAVAGES IN THE EAST.
1t first attracted note at JessOre, where
&. OO0d died. 1t soon reached Calcutta, where
the Indian army was encamped, and in
twelve days after it appeared, 164 officers
and 5 800 men had been swept away. The
entire mortality in Bengal has been esti-
mated at 100000. In Just year it had
covered the entire Indian Peninsula. 1t
then crossed to CeylOn, and there ragged
violently. A French vessel sailed from
CeylOn to Mauritius. The plague broke
out there and decimated the 10000 peO-
pie. Still spreading it passed from Maui
ritius to the Isle of Bourbon, where
double military Gordon prevented any
further development. and only 200 persons
died. Returning to Calcutta. we find that
the cholera marched east and west as
well as South. 1t extended along the coast
to Malacca and Siam. At Bangkok
10000 persisted. From Siam it
went to Sumatra, Java, and
reached China in 1920. At Samarang
there were -, 900 deaths IN two months,
and the entire loss of life in Java was
estimated at 100000. At Pekin and Nam
kin the mortality was so great that the
government had to make large apprO-
priatiOn to bury the dead. 1t also fol
lowed the British army to Burmah, and
broke out in the PHILIPPINES. Going west
from Bombay. it took passage on the YES
sells which ply between Bombay and the
Persian Gulf, and in little time the islands
in the Gulf had been visited. From these
islands it spread through Arabia and Per
STA. Ten thousand died in ten days at
Muscat. 40, 900 fell at ShiraZ, 1000 at Yezd
and $1,000 at BassOra, not to mention
nearly a third of the country population.
SYRIA and Palestine did not escape, and
foOthOld was gained in Europe at As
trachan. at the mouth of the N0lga, IN the
Russian territories, in 1923.
IT REACHES EUROPE.
Its further northern and western pro-
gress was for a time arrested. 1t, however,
reappeared in 1928 and 1929, and i'm 1890
il advanced through the southern prov
inces until it reached Moscow, and from
there it swept across Germany and
France. In all it took five years to spread
over all this territory, and the loss of life
may fairly be put at several million per-
sons. and before it reached England in
1881 the loss of life was estimated at 3d.
&
United States in 1880! Its spread over
Europe starting at Astrachan, in Russia,
where it had stopped before, reached Err g
land in 1881 and the United States in 1882.
From England the disease passed to
Ireland, where it appeared in Dublin.
ITS APPEARANCE IN AMERICA.
on the Sth of June, 1882, it was first seen
on this side OF the Atlantic in Quebec, and
two days later it appeared at Montreal.
On the DIST of June it broke out in New
YOrk-all the intermediate cities on the
seabOard of the provinces of New Bruins
wick and Nova Scotia, and of the States
of Maine, Massachusetts and Road
Island remaining exempt On
july 9TH it manifested it,
self in Philadelphia. This city suffered
much less than Montreal, Quebec and
New York. The disease then spread in
various directions, visiting Albany, Troy
and Rochester in July, and Baltimore,
Washington and Boston in August. Dur
ing the same months it was prevalent in
several parts of New Jersey and Delaware.
About the first of October it suddenly
broke out at Cincinnati, and nearly SIM
ultaneOusly at Madison, Wis, Louisville,
XIV, and st. Louis, Mo-, and by the latter
end of the month it reached New Orleans.
On leaving Ohio it visited Tennessee, Hi
nOis, Indiana and Kentucky. MaysVille.
yerely. During the same year it visited
Campeache, where it was exceedingly
fatal. 1000 out of a population of 10000
falling its victims.
Following in a course from New York
through the Mississippi valley to New
Orleans il left the United States and visi-
ted Havana early in 1888, but never reach
ed any other of the West India Islands.
In 1884 il revisited many of the cities Of
this country that had previously suffered,
and spread TO others that had
been left untouched; vet singular
cases of entire immunity were met with.
Philadelphia and Baltimore both suffered
again, but not severely, in 1884. Charles
ton was the first Southern coast city Wis
tied. and from there the disease came to
Savannah, where it appeared in epidemic
fOrm'On the rice plantations on the islands
north of the city.
THE EPIDEMIC OF 1884.
Thus from the date of its appearance
in India, in 1877, to the time il reached
Savannah in 1884, the course of the dis
ease as it Travelled around the globe can
be traced without interruption.
In order to gain correct history of its
visitation in this locality a representative
of the News called upon DR.. j. 7. Nc
Farland, Health Officer and Secretary of
the Sanitary Commission.
In reply TO an inquiry as 10 the locality
of the disease in 1884, DIR. Mcfarland
said:
Its first appearance in an epidemic
form. so far as we can learn, was among
the negroes on the island plantations
north of the city. Here it ragged with a
fearful fatality. The first case that APP
peared in Savannah was on September IL,
1884, and during the remainder of
that year - deaths of whites from
cholera were recorded. These occurred
i'm September and October. The number
of deaths Of negroes is not given and no
cOlOred burial was reported. This is
probably owing to the fact that the ne.
grOes were buried on the plantations
where they died. The disease did not eX-
tend more than ten miles west Of the city,
and but few deaths were reported within
the limits. 1t was confined chiefly to the
lOwlands and islands,
ITS FATALITY IN 1866.
''Was this the extent of the epidemic p
mo further cases were reported until
after the warm 1S66-a period of thirty
two years from the date OF the first vista
tion.''
The Doctor then related the history Of
the epidemic and its ravages during the
year that followed:
In June, 1866. the steamer San Jacinto
sailed from New York for Savannah.
having ON board several companies of
United States soldiers from Governors
Island, and a number of cabin passen-
gers. During the passage cholera broke
out among the troops, and on her arrival
at this harbOr the ship was guaranteed
and the troops landed on Tybee Island,