The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-17
How II was Brought to Toulon.


Toulon Correspondence Paris Gaulois.
There is no longer any doubt that the cholera
which at present RACES in our city is the Asiatic
cholera, and to deny its visitation is to deny the
truth. The Toulon physicians have already OBJ
served several epidemics, and they are the great
er experts in such cases for the reason that most
Of them are former navy surgeons, who could
study on the spot the different forms of the
plague. They are united in persistently declar-
ing that it is the Asiatic cholera which has made
its invasion in Toulon, and which was brought in
by the ship Sarthe.
The maratime authorities naturally deny this
very energetcally and attempt in vain to con-
tradict it. 1t is none the less certain that cases
Of cholera broke out on board the Sarthe when
this vessel was at Saigon. Cleaned and disin-
fected at the time with more or less care, she
was sent back to Toulon, where entrance to the
harbor was at once allowed, because it was nee
essary to send the ship to Madagascar after q
short delay.
During the voyage-that is to say, from April
5 to June 25-no one, say the official statements
emanating from the maritime Office, was attack
ed by any suspicious malady. Such declarations
are always easy to give, for it sufces IN case Of
death to change the nature Of the disease to
which the deceased had succumbed, and if the
naval officer denies the cases of suspicious dis
eases on board the Sarthe, he cannot deny the
number of deaths, which, according to informa
tion obtained from the crew, amounted to thir-
teen during the voyage Besides, the attitude
of the physician of the Sarthe seems to demon
strate the correctness Of my statement He en-
ergetically protested when the sanitary officials
allowed the vessel to enter the port of Toulon,
and declared that he would not assume the re-
sponsibility of this step.
It is true that since then the Sarthe has been
put out into the open sea, but the cargo and all
the old stuff brought back from Cochin China
was unloaded at Toulon, and the first result Of
this nconceivable imprudence was the death Of
the workman Ozame, who assisted at the un-
loading.
The number of stores closed increases and the
emigration continues. During Tuesday night
and to-day there were eight deaths from cholera
in the city, the suburbs and the hospitals Up
to last evening the total number of cholera pa
tents sent to the hospitals were eighty, Of which
seventy are in the military hospitals and ten in
the civil ones. The naval officer has just de-
cided not to allow any seamen actually in Tou-
lon to leave for fear they should carry the germs
Of the epidemic to other places The govern
ment has ordered that the dredging of the
marshy quarters near the Arsenal be stopped.
Since the breaking out Of the cholera the mu-
nicipality Of Toulon, it is true, had the city
cleansed, but it was high time. To-day the
streets are almost freed from the heaps Of dirt
with which they were filed and water flows
abundantly in the cutters, thanks to the order
which the water company received to open
the taps of the huge reservoirs recently con
structed.
The municipality has also proceeded TO the
cleaning of the canal, but this work has been
ridiculously performed and this point of the city
continues to be breeding place Of Infection