Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-07-17
] CHOLERA A EararnDDEMIos.
The Original Home az the scourge
That Hes Many Times Become
~ ~ W = Epidemic.i aks R'a

sliGUu uEpidsmiG. - -
With cholera at Toulon, aud the fact
itmemory that the scourge has never
ravaged Europe without sooner or
later crossing the ocean TO America,
some account Of the rise and progress
OF previous epidemics will possess in
terest at the present time, says the
Chicago Netos. ,...
The scourge has been known to ex.
ist in India for centuries. Contrary,
however, to the general accepted theo-
ry, which received added weight from
the conclusions of the international
cholera conference of 1856, the place
of its origin does not appear to have
been the Ganges valley-whence it
spread in lSl7-but Goa, on the west
coast of the peninsula, where its raw
ages were observed and noted in 1889
by Hollander named Lineschot by
Mandelsloe in 1888, and in 1916 by
one Dellon, who was SO unfortunate
as to incur the hostility of the holy In
QUESTION, and whose observations
were made during his Imprisonment
by that institution of Mother Church.
1t is TACT, though, that the outbreak
OF 1917 exceeded in severity and the
extent of Its expansion all that had
preceded it. 1t was, moreover, first to
reach Europe, and therefore it shall
be the first of which we treat. During
August, 1917, the cholera known to
the Mshrattas as mordeshin and to
the Mobammedans of India as haiza,
ragged at Jessore, place on the upper
part of the Ganges delta, about sixty
miles from Calcutta From thence il
passed from district to district, now
slowly and now fast, but never jump
ing over place along its route until
in September, lS4S, it reached Bonn
bay. Madras was visited in October,
and by January, 1919, it had invaded
Ceylon. Here we leave 1t to trace Its
westward march, merely observing
that it had spread far to the east, over
running farther India and China. Its
course northwest was by the 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 conveyed from
Bombay in 1921. Naturally the peo-
pie of Europe expected the invasion
from this quarter, but it was not made,
and it was not until July, 1880, thai
the most northerly district infected,
that along the borders of the Caspian,
transmitted the dreaded scourge to
European Russia. From thence it
spread was mere matter of time, and
for eight years-that is, until 1885
it was continually present in one coun-
try or the other. of Europe. In the
meantime it crossed the ocean and
spread over the Western Hemisphere.
Nine years after the cholera dlssap-
peared from Europe it again visited
this continent, in ls47, and again came
to this country, where it was very Sc
we're. 1t was not entirely got rid of
in Europe until 1859. a
This year 1865 witnessed an inva-
sion from new quarter, the disease
this time entering Europe from the
Mediterranean ports after having de-
vastated Egypt, where l,l92 persons
fell victims to it. 1t was very severe
in Europe, 1000 inhabitants OF Paris
being carried off by it in October,
1865. In 1866, England, Holland,
Prussia, Hungary, and Austria suf-
fered severely. In November of 1865
twas brought to New York by the
Immigrant ship Atlanta, but did not
spread beyond the immigrants hos
pital on Wards Island. The follow
ing April witnessed its arrival at the
same port on board the ships Virginia
and England, of whose passengers 2sl
had died on the voyage. The next
two months saw few isolated cases
in the city itself, and thenceforward it
spread rapidly, taking off l,l95 per-
sons up to October 18th, on which
date the last case occurred. In Brook
lyn between 700 and 500 persons died,
at St. Louis 1852, Philadelphia s34,
Cincinnati 1000, Chicago 97s Savan-
nah 23l, New Orleans 1872, etc,-al-
together, 10, sos deaths from this cause
were reported during the year. In
October, 1867, it reappeared, this time
on board the United States ship Po-
tomac, at Philadelphia, but was con-
fined to the vessel. At New York
the plague was reimported in immi-
grant ships, the Lord Brougham, ar
riving ON December lst, from Ham
burg, with twenty sick on board, after
having buried twenty five at sea. and
the Leibnitz, on January llth, from
the same port, with thirty. five sick and
list of LOS who lad died on the
passage. Here as in Philadelphia, the
disease was kept on board ship. But
the South was not SO fortunate. Pen
secola, Mobile, and New Orleans were
all visited by the plague, which ex-
II.l -. A. NE.,c;,o;nx>; o.J "a.