The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-07-05
CHOLERA AND ITS RAVAGES.

breaking out of cholera in TouiCu and
Marseilles will feel less at ease when
they understand that so long as that dis.
ease exists in European ports there is al
ways possibility that it may be brought
to this country. Indeed we do not now
call to mind any occasion upon which the
plague when it visited Europe has not
sooner or later made it's appearance hero.
What che lera is and where it origi-
mated have long been questions of i'll
terest to scientists. The first, so long a
matter of conjecture, has been practi-
cally settled by the Investigations of the
eminent German scientist DR.. Koch, who
has established the fact that the disease
is due to bacillus previously known.
DR.. Becker, of Berlin, advanced the
same theory as long ago as 1881, but
owing to the incompleteness of the proof
to sustain his position his views were
not generally accepted as conclusive by
the medical profession.
1t is generally admitted that cholera
first appeared at Goa in 1850, and there
are on record observations made on the
diseas, at that place in 1858 and 1916.
True Asiastic cholera is said to invari-
ably make its appearance in Hindoostan,
and counting from 1856, it is asserted
that it has made its appearance every
twelve years or in multiples of that num-
Der. The outbreak of 1917 far exceeded
in severity any which had preceded it,
and was the first to penetrate beyond
the borders of Europe. During August,
1917, the cholera known to the Mahrattas
as mordeshin and to the Mohammelans
of India as haiza ragged at Jessorc, a
place on the upper part of the Ganges
delta, about sixty miles from Calcutta.
From thence it passed from district to
district, now slowly and now fast, but
never jumping over any place along its
route, until in September, 1918, it reached
Bombay. Madras was visited in October,
and by January, 1919, it had invaded
Ceylon.
1t spread far to the East, overrunning
Farther India and China. It's course
northwest was by way Of Persia, whence
it proceeded along the great routes OF
travel until it reached the Caspian sea
and Armenia. In 1922 the disease was
established in the coast towns of Syria
and Turkey, which seem to have been
reached from Armenia and by way OF
Arabia, to which peninsula it was con.
veyed from Bombay in 1921. Naturally
the people Of Europe expected the in.
vasion from this quarter, but il was not
made, and it was not until July, 1880,
that the most northerly district infected
that along the borders of the Caspian
transmitted the dreaded scourge to
European Russia. From thence its
spread was mere matter of time, and
for eight years it Was continually present
in one country or the other of Europe.
In the meantime it crossed the ocean and
spread over the Western hemisphere.
Nine years after the cholera disappeared
from Europe it again visited that CONT
nent-in lS47-and again came to this
country, where it was very severe. 1t
was not entirely got rid of n Europe un-
til 1859.
The year 1865 witnessed an invasion
from new quarter, the disease this time
entering Europe from the Mediterranean
ports, after having devastated Egypt,
where G1, 1872 persons fell victims to it.
1t was very severe i'll Europe, 1000 i'll
habitants of Paris being carried off by il
in October 1865. In 1866 England, Hol-
land, Prussia, Hungary and Austria suf-
fered severely. In November of 1865 ii
was brought 70 New York by the immi.
grant ship Atlanta, but did not spread
beyond the immigrants hospital on
Ward sIsland. The following Apri! wit
messed its arrival at the same port on
board the ships Virginia and England, OF
whose passengers PSI had died on the
voyage. The next two months saw a
few isolated cases in the city itself, and
thence forward it spread rapidly, taking
off I, 1915 persons up to October Is, on
which date the last case occurred. In
Brooklyn between 700 and 800 persons
died, at St. Louis 5, 532, Philadelphia S34,
Cincinnati 1, 200, Chicago 91S, Savannah
23l, New Orleans 1872, &c. Altogether
10, sos deaths from this cause were re-
ported during the year.
In October, 1867, it leappcarcd, this
time Oh board the United states ship Po-
tomac, at Philadelphia, but was confined
to the vessel. At New York the plague
was reimported in immigrant ships, the
Lord Brougham arriving on December 1
from Hamburg with 20 sick on board, af-
ter having buried - at sea, and the
Leibnitz on January II from the same
port, with IS sick and list of 10J who
had died on the passage. Here, as at
Philadelphia, the disease was kept on
board ship. But the South was not SO
fortunate. Pensacola, Mobile aid New
Orleans were all visited by the plague,
which extended up the Mississippi and
its southern tributaries, many deaths Oc-
curing in the Indian Territory.
The present epidemic, like its immed-
late predecessor, entered Europe from
the Mediterranean, and whether it
spreads beyond the places already ill.,
fected depends entirely upon the Efforts
taken to suppress it and to prevent its
migration. 1t should not be forgotten
by all, and particularly by those charged
with the sanitary arrangements of great
cities, that the best preventive of cholera
as we'll as all other contagious diseases
is good hygiene and good drainage.
Clean houses, well ventilated, and a strict
attention to the personal cleanliness are
safeguards the efficacy Of which cannot
be over estimated. NJ. Nulpian, an en-
inent French scientist, is convinced that
m orphia will conquer cholera afterit has
appeared. BY the observance of ordinary
caution as to hygiene it is possible to al
together avoid the dreaded disease.
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