The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-09-28
CHOLERA MICROBES.
now THE DISEASE Is TRANSMITTED IN
RAIsIN BOXES.
6. f. Call, Sept. 13.)

6. +. Call. Sept. 49,
DR.. A. Blatchly of this city, in
the following communication, fur
nishes an interesting account of the
method in which the raisin trade
tends to assist the spread of the
disease:
1t is well-known fact that the
microbes can exist in clothing and
merchandise for long time after
contact with cholera patient, and
that when such clothing or merchan-
disc is transported from one country
to another the cholera is carried with
it, This is clearly shown in the
cholera which is now raging in Spain
and France and which was gift of
Tonquin to France from the other
side of the earth. Last fall the
cholera disappeared in France.
There were no cases of 1T for months.
1t left the human being and took
refuge in food, clothing, merchan-
disc and any habitat that offered
conditions for its existence more
favorable than the human body. But
when the heat of summer became
sufficiently great it again attacked
human beings with as great viru-
lence as when it first appeared. To
infect an article with microbe so rs
to render it dangerous for length
of time, it must be in contact with
the excretions of cholera patient
or some substance impregnated with
them. The filth of sewers and any
decomposing animal or vegetable
substance appears to be best adapt
ed to their propagation and preserv-
alton.
CHOLERA IMPORTATION.
As raisins are one of the chief
articles of export from Spain to this
country, it may be well to consider
the probability of the cholera being
imported in boxes of raisins. In
the cholera-infected districts of
Spain. where raisins are manufac-
tured. the grapes are picked by
hand, carefully assorted and placed
upon the ground to dry. Each
cluster is arranged to expose the
proper side to the sun, and covered
or uncovered, according to the state
of the weather, until dried. Then
each cluster is taken up separately
and put in boxes ready for packing.
Thus every bunch and nearly every
berry is brought in personal contact
with the raisin-maler Il number of
times during this drying, and if he
is infected with the cholera the
raisins will be infected also. After
drying, the raisins are packed in
boxes for the market. For London
layers each bunch is arranged to
show the largest and best berries on
one side, and n great amount of
handling is necessary to give the
best appearance to the layers. In
packing the Deheslas each indivi-
dual berry is pressed in the fingers
before packing in the box. Where
so much handling is required, escape
from infection is impossible if the
packers are cholera patients. After
packing, the layers are subjected to
a heavy pressure, which forms them
into dense mass, which is wrapped
in paper and enclosed in wooden
box. Thus protected, the microbe
is safe from the sulphurous acid gas
which in fumigation is forced into
the holds of ships to destroy the
germs of disease. This gas will
pass through clothing or any article
of an open porous nature, and des-
troy the germs that they may con-
tain. But the inside of the mass of
pressed raisins cannot be penetrated
by the gas, and the microbe is safe.
THE PAPER MAY CARRY THEM.
The paper used in packing and
for labels is as liable to contain the
germs of the disease as clothing,
and the boxes as furniture, only
they are not generally brought in as
close contact as ordinary garments
with the cholera patients. The
boxes are very permeable to sui
phurOus gas, but the papers between
the layers of raisins would be reach
ed only with great difficulty, and
probably would not be acted upon
at all.
Another mode of making raisins
is to dip the grapes in an alkaline
saturation made from ashes obtained
by burning grape cuttings. This
furnishes an alkaline compound
= which is considered most favorable
for the propagation of the cholera
bacilli.
In manufacturing raisins the whole
of the moisture is not expelled from
the grapes, but just sufficient to
form a jelly, which, enclosed in the
skins of the grapes, will not ferment
and putrefy: but if the curing is