The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-09-05
The Dreaded Scourge.


since the beginning of the epidemic,
out of a total of 1885, OF cases. AT the
present rate of its ravages, the deaths |
in that country will reach 10000 by |
the end of this week, and the total |
number of attacks nearly 2OO,O In
| Narcotics, TOuIOn, and other parts
of southern France the scourge main
tains its foOthOld.
| Thus it is clear that while last year
the excitement and terror over the
presence of cholera in Europe may
| have been greater, the present year
! has been far more terrible in its raw
ages. The deaths from this pestilence
in Italy during 1884 were computed
at 10000; but already during the
present season those Of Spain have
been siXtimes as many. 1t is further
evident that in spite of modern ex-
perience and appliances the present
visitation of cholera in Europe is
one of the most destructive ever
known.
The persistence of the epidemic and
| its greatly increased fury during the
present season are very suggestive.
The notion that because cholera did
not reach England and America last
year, and has thus far not reached
these countries during the present
year, there is now less likelihood of
its attacking them, is not in accor-
dance with historic facts. The con-
ception of its progress as being like
that of fire on the priarie, which
swiftly passes and leaves its ruin
wrought, is wholly erroneous. When
it once gains a foothold in country
it invariably occupies it for several
years, breaking out again and again
in the same or some fresh quarter.
Before several Of its visits to Amer
lea it had first ravaged Europe dur
ing several successive years.
Thus the epidemic of 1882, the first
that afflicted America, had been rag
ing in Europe nearly two years be-
fore it crossed the Atlantic. 1t APP
: peared first at Moscow on the 28th of
September, 1880. During the entire
year 1881 it swept all oyer Europe
east of the Rhine, causing probably
100000 deaths in Germany alone.
1882 it spread over Great Britain and
France, and the deaths in the latter
country were estimated at 100000. 1t
was during this second year of its Eu-
r0pean course that it found its way to
America.
In like manner our second epidem-
ic, that of 1913, had broken out half
a dozen years earlier in India, and
thence had spread through Persia be-
tween the Black and Caspian seas to
Russia, and then, like its predecessor
was carried to Berlin, Hamburg,
Bremen and HaYre, as we'll as to the
cities of southern Europe, and so
found its way to this country after
years of destruction in the Old
World.
The epidemics of 1854 and 1865, on
the contrary, were fully developed
in this country not many months
after their appearance in Europe.
That of 1878 reached this country
after ample warning, there having
been 10000 cases of cholera in
Germany alone during the preced-
ing year.
OF the present epidemic, we know
that it began its westward march
four years ago; that it was in Egypt
in 1888, and in France and Italy in
1884. Instead of relaxing efforts to
keep it away from America on the
false theory that it would have reach
ed this country before had it been
coming at all, we should remember
that cholera has repeatedly harassed
Europe for years in succession before
crossing the Atlantic.
Even in this country, while we ha-
bitually speak for convenience of the
epidemics of 1882, 1913, 1878, and so
on, as if these were the only years of
their continuance, the uniform rule
is that they have ragged from three to
five years successfully, and occasion
: ally much longer. The first epidem-
ic in this country did not subside UNI
til the lapse of five years, and two
years after its first appearance it rag
ed furiously. Some authorities have
declared that in New York city there
was scarcely a year from 1882 to 1854
without well-defined cases of cholera
But the first year is one of terror and
excitement; and if a season in
which $4,000 victims perish is fol-
lowed by others in which the losses
are only 5000 or 10000, these latter
are apt to attract little notice. This
unfaiiing quality of persistence and
temperance through successive sea
sons shOnld be a warning to continu-