New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-06
RAISINS FROM SPAIN.
SHIPMENTS FROM THE CHOLERA DISTRICT.
is THERE DANGER OF BRINGING THE DISEASE TO
AMERICAf


Is THERE DANGER OF BRINGING THE DISEASE TO
AMERICAN
Some weeks ago dispatches from San Francisco
Announced that the California papers and the
California people were criticising severely decision
of Health Officer Smith, of New York. This
decision admitted without delay at quarantine
Iaisips which were picked in the cholera-iniested
districts of Spain but were shipped from non.
injected port Following Is Dr. Smiths letter. as 1t
was copied in the San Francisco papers
NEw-YoRK, Aug. II, 1885.
GsNThENEx: Yours of the 18th inst is at hand. In
reply TSd9 port more than to cargo
nosed OF welpacked fruit wines and original packages
OF sot IMPOSSIBLE that it would be required that such
cargo should be discharged az quarantine that inc
inc ~ the CITY, This would not necessarily cause but
little dsay but additional expense in dlschargng al
s entered in an infected district packed and
shipped from mon infected port VIII mot "n .u' ver r
ro.nncf,,ly WILLIAM NJ SMITH
fsirned1 Health Officer Port of New-Yo:k.
This letter was not telegraphed from San Fran
cisco; merely the opinions. Of san francisco
business men on the danger OF cholera iniectlon
imported Easns Armed s of SPANISH
ross:ns. and with singular unanimity the importers
paoh.poohed the idea of there being any danger
from imported rasns tnG tbere %
bcen no arrivals CT this years crop OF Spanish
raisins in New-York. aud the subject was dropped
Since that time there nave gssn n snansS rails
ins 70 New-York houses and they have
been bee sold and distributed to ,, nyadious
Sirectly from Denia and Malaga and sono are
shipped from those ports to LIVERPOOL ana tReh re-
shipped to New-York Dcnia is the seaport Tor the
nrnvince of Valencia and Malaga for Granada, anu
there has been cholera in both of these PROVINCES
The grapes are gathered by the peasants and cured
or sundred in the vineyards They are n sen ber
loosely and IN bulk, or IN boxes packed III, III inc
houses of the peasants. In the sea-ports they are
repackoa put IN er t aed o1es Wh
,rben thew arc ready for shipment. The peasants
who packed this years crop of Spanish grapes, II
the district where cholera has been prevalent
Opinions vary as to whether raisins can carry
SholsTa germ or Of the best
as saying that raisins can contain the germs OF
eh0ler sn az well iS as Hssah Officer was seen by
Tribune reporter and was asked whether he
believed there was any danger CT cholera infection
from imported Spanish raS ais he I sad tbra
might be danger from the odds and ends which
went into vessel in infected port with the cargo
onestion whether odds and ends might not become
mixed up with the raisns themselves in packing
them or in curing them. Or smith declared that i
he could not imagine anything OF the kind. Ihe
question: was then asked whether quarantine was
not. at best precaution against possible danger
without waiting for the actual disease TO appear;
DR. Smith said it was and then said that he would
prepare careful answers to written questions on
HE subject. Following were his written and
deliberate replies:
dried raisns in the condition in which they ae imported
y DO not believe there is any possibility that either
the rasns boxes in which they are packed may be-
come infected and tic cholera germs thus transpanted
in n condition to commnni cate cholera 49,,
8 Fumgat;on Of a cargo of raisins would not injure
'u I know of no authentic instance record where
sugar has transported the germs OF cholera. I'D,
been in the with cholera patient that It Is In,
foced Whether it should be DESTROYED would depend
OF cholera or ate been infected by the ercreta
Of the patient High heat airy or moist r sHn s Ss
efficient in the destruction OF the causes uI0n when
Health officer, Port Of New York
With reference to the fourth answer the question
.,ras mot whether sugar had ever been known to
transport germs ei cholera iHe TERM asea was s
authentic Instance record where rags have
transported the germs of cholera, but it is consid-
cred likely that they might and the quarantin ing
of rags is said by tho health authorities to be just
and proper measure -.
The fifth question referred TO the probability or
nossblity OF raisIns having been taken TO the
Cottage of peasant where there was or had been
cholera. before being taken to the seaport for
packing The rasns Sr' are not oe'cea'ou anu arc
DIR. j. b. Taylor, chief inspector of contagious
diseases, vaccination ana dsihlecuoh IN tne
there was not likely to be danger OF cholera
;nfection from imported raisms. The cholera germ
required moisture for its propagation. he thought
IL nossible that there might be efficient moisture
in the raisns 30 keep alive germ iOl snort time
ar The wood Of which the boxes were made might
beeome damp enough to serve tie same purpose.
Cholera would lurk in the damp hold of a ship for
an indefinite time. . IT.,
DR.. James thought it not likely that cholera
Infection would be transported IN dried raSins. IL
was believed possible for germs OF disease 10 be
TRANSPORTED in sugar. 1t was customary TO destroy
any food that had been IN the same room with
Vent
kin the germs OF disease though tue possible length
of their life not known.
AT the store of Thurber. Wyland 81 Co., wholesale
vrocers il was said that there no danger in the
fmnortatiOn of raisins. The California crop has
constituted about one-fift OF the countrys supply
The quality shows marked improvement each
Hills Brothers, frnit dealers, have dealt in
California raisns. but CONSIDER tnem mlerior 10
hroluct controls the market west CT the Missouri
River and Hills Brothers sent a consignment of
Cali fornia raslns to Name tne Oinsr 3ay " 50
less than 800, GOO boxes and this years crop Will
make over 100000 boxes. The Lealcr had seen
none of this years crop and could not say whether
fbev were of better quality than last year. They
were receiving c0nsignments OF Imported ralslns,
which were sold as fast as they arrived. THIS was
fonnd to be the case with several other large
Dr' Smith. in answer to tho question whether
Denia and Malaga qualantined against by
The United States sent back the reply: All Span
ish ports on the Mediterranean are considered
infested and vessels from there are treated accord
! The question arises whether it is necessary to
rroye an instance where commodity has carried
Standardization to justify. Quarantlnlng 1t when
1t comes FROM an infected districts
STABBED BY AN UNKNOWN ITALIAN.
Persons who werc passing George II. Richardson's
frnit store, at No 22S Greenwich-St, abont a. m
Yesterday witnessed an alteration which quickly
ended in bloodshed. George Redmond, fruit
yender of No IS Union-st, Brooklyn, had stopped
So ln Gfn a.
customer. aud was handling bunch Of bananas,
which he had made mp his mind to purchase, when
n short stoutly-built Italian tried to snatch the
bnnch away, exclaiming Ne want-a AT !" The
Italian whose name was not known. had pure based
srut at the store several times and he had examined
the bunch of bananas before Redmond took hold OF
IL The men hal a slight seuiie for possession of
the fruit and Redmond exclaimed roughly: You
wouldn't want em if wasn't going to buy EN-"