The Wilmingtonian., 1884-07-05
THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC.

1t may SAVIOR of uncaled for croakug and
mere nervous apprehension to dwell on the
necessity of guarding against the possibility
of cholera epidemic in this country, such
the commercial relations of the Old and the
| New World are so closely linked by steam
communication ard the swelling stream Of
immigration that epidemies may be conveyed
from Europe to America as quickly and Ger
tainly as the mails Observation of the pre-
vious invasions Of this country by the chol-
era scourge abundantly confirm this. The
J epidemic of 1882 did not spread to this coun-
| try for month after it had been established
in Western Europe. Then it was distinctly
traced to the arrival of an emigrant snip at
! Quebec. IL rvnUssrn Tho tne of oporetiono
| in the Black Hawk War till it reached Chi
| cago and thence descended southwardS to
| the Mississippi till it found congcnial home
in New Orleans Here Surgeon General
Lawson wrote of it Zone fact is certain; no
case occurred here until after the arrival Of
steamboat with a case of cholera on board
and after a number Of persons On the vessel
had died of it. "G,OO0 persons in the city died
out of population Of 5000.
The next great outbreak began in Ben
gal in 1S41 Travelled slowly across Europe
and reached the western shores of France in
1S4S. Thence it was conveyed directly by
an emigrant ship to Nov Orleans and spread
via Kansas City westward to San Francisco
The next invasion Of this country occur
red in 1866, one year after its appearance in
Egypt and SOUTHEASTERN Europe, and only
fifteen days after the appearance Of the dis
ease in London. 1t ragged with great violence
throughout Western Europe for three
months, and the deaths averaged from 20 to
80 day in the larger towns. In this coun-
try It also committed terrible ravagcs.
especially in New York, where it first broke
out. Over 1000 persons are known to have
died Of it, although the disease was mild here
as compared with its violence in the Old
World.
We have, fortuuately,a "a fairly good knowl-
edge of the history Of cholera, and it may be
even said that it is as comfortable disease,
when it occurs epidemically as smallpox
itself. Both diseases require suitable
nitlus OF nest in which to acquire intensity
and propagate. The essentials Of such nest
are filth, bad ventilation and bad water.
And what vaccination has done to stamp
out smallpox, rigid quarantine and proper
sanitary precautions will do to abolish chol-
era. 1t is invariably most destructive in sea
port towns and crowded cities.
Although every outbreak Of cholera in the
far East does not spread westward, it is yet
true that the disease follows the law of
cycles to marked degree. This fact was
noticed from the outbreaks Of 1856, 11GS
and 1881. 1t has now been aSccrtained that
the periodic element is due to The great
IIiudoo festivals which are held every twelve
years and are attended by imrlense multi
tudes of the most squald beings known
to civilizations who crowdtogether in u state
of ndescribable filth and who have no CON
ception of the cOmmoncst necessities of san
itation. Bokhara, Meshed and Mecca con
stitute the outposts from which the disease
is rapidly diflused through the Mcditoran-
can seaports, thence to be extended to the
whole of Europe and quite possibly to Amer
ica. The Atlantic, which should constitute
our safe guard, becomes under loose quar-
antine system the agent for the importation
of the scourge. Under II rigid administra-
ton of the law it shodld become an impossi
blity for Asiatic Cholera TO effect a landing
ON our shores, and nothing less thah criminal
careessness on the part of the authorities
can be charged if such an event should occur.
Once introduced, the extension of the pesti-
lence is almost inevitable, but with the
full knowledge of the terrible consequences
involved, the Government will hardly fail to
rise to the occasion ana insist on the most
rigorous examination of every vessel amiv-
ing from Mediterranean port.
Asiatic Cholera is one Of the most fatal
diseases known. Il is entirely beyond the
control of medicine, and only the most
robust survive its attacks. Frequently it
kills within four hours, and whole families
have been swept of by it in a few days. This
is the danger we have to face and to ward
off. 1t is not war on another continent; it
is an enemy knocking for entrance at our
doors.
Leyitation Extraordinary.
"a