The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-10-16
THE ASIATIC CHOLERA,
Where 1t Starts, How 1t Travels, and
by What Roads.

There are comparatively few people
now living in this country who have
ever witnessed IL case of Asiatic chol-
era, and there is probably no disease
of which mankind in general stands in
greater fear, and which is the object of
moro superstition. The fact of tho
dread malady spreading its contagion
by personal contact, and following in
its march the main roads of commerce
induced Eugene Sue to select Ahasuc-
rus rs tho, personal propagation of chol-
era, especially rs it formerly advanced
with the slowness with which eastern
caravans carried tho tea across the AS
latte prairies.
In Asia, in the neighborhood of Cal
cutta; in Arabia, near Mecca, and in
Egypt, not farm from Cairo, are the
brceding-placcs of cholera. There
famine is frequent occurrence. The
people grow, up surrounded by filth
such rs an American citizen has not
tho faintest idea Of and an infectious
disease finds the most favorable condi-
tions for its development in those un-
healthy districts. Tho pilgrims who in
thousands yearly proceed from Egypt
to Mecca, and who live of the. poorest
food and amid the greatest squalor,
carry with them the seeds of cholera,
and thus form the connecting link in
the transmission of tho disease from
Asia to. Africa. If we consider tho
commercial Importance of Alexandria
we can not wonder that the cholera,
once epidemic in Egypt, should swiftly
travel to Europe. Thus far medical
history has not recorded q single in
stance of an original outbreak of chol-
era anywhere but at the places men-
toned. Filth seems to be the sine qua
non OF It's development and cleanliness
the most!powerful barrier to its march.
Tho fact has been established that
the human being alone acts as the car
rler of the cholera poison. There is
no well-authcnticated case on record
where rags or clothing, as has been
proven of yellow fever, has transmitted
tEo infectious material of the Asiatic
disease, In olden times, when no rail-
roads, no steamships, fastened the
travel, the march Of cholera kept pace
with the rapidity, respective slowness.
OF human intercourse. The disease
either followed the road of the great
tea caravans, which brought the high
priced leaves from, Asia to Russia, or it
travelled the usual ways of commerce
across the Mediterranean sea. Where
ever large belt of water separated
two countries the epidemic disease
marchede fnoS the ono to tho other in
the same length of time that it took q
ship to sail across the water. Such in
stances we say IN the spreading of tho
contagion from the continent of Europe
across the. channel to England and
from Great Britain to America. In the
latter case the Infectious material is
not waited across the Atlantic ocean
and carried the long distance by the
air. From the moment of the out
Break of cholera in England about
seven days must at least clapse Gro the
first case of tho disease can happen in
our country, for tho fastest steamer
needs about that time to cross the
ocean.
We know. therefore, long since that
neithor in Europe nor America could
Asiatic cholera develop itself without
its germ having first been introduced
into these countries. We also were
aware Of the fact that human inter.
course alone propagatcs tho contaqion.
and experience has taught us that filth
favored and cleanliness prevented the
spread of the disease. In modern
tines, where public hygiene had be-
come suclS IN important factor in tho
govorninS of nations, whore the public
sanip Gy matters arc generally under
STOOD and highly appreciated in civil
lied countries, tho facts just cnumer-
ated have been made subscryient to tho
general welfare of the people, The
original broeding-placcs of the malady
were first determined; then the utmost
precautions wero taken on the first
signs of tho outbreak of the disease to
coniino it to its limits-to isolate tho
district attacked. Besides every state,
every city, every county established it's
own poard OF health. This board had
10 SEQ that the greatest cleanliness
oAlStcu IN us locality, and that travel
CTS from the suspected regions were
1rst quarantined ere they were nor-
mltted to enter the protected district
That 1t is possibl @ to nit tho spread
OF Asiatic cholera, to le ,sen Tho nm.
ber of its victims, and to diminish its
reyerity by the meas res just doscribod
!, experiences of tlo last ten wears
has proven. The last opidapi:c' lust
reached our shore, bu., finding NO
suitable soil for its developments, il
died out of its own account after hay-
Ing attached few victims in tho filth
lest quarters of the metropolis. The
epidemics which last year aged in Egypt
and Calcutta were totally confined to
their original starting point. Perhaps
tho ,best proof of the utility Of strict
sanitary measures was given by tho
epidemic in Egypt. In the immediate
nelghborhood of the infected place
some thousands of English soldiers
were campingi many foreigners from
III parts OF the civilized world were
then living noi fifty miles from the
dangerous district; a greatly augmented