, 1890-09-04
THE CHOLERA COMING.
Advance of the Plague West
ward From Arabia.
RAGING IN PARTS OF EUROPE
A Large Mortality Apprehended
From the Spread of the
Scourge.


Asiatic cholera prevails now In 30
many parts of tho Old World that 1t
will be hardly possible to prevent Il
large mortality from this cause In
the next few months. The disease
Is now found on the Arabian shore
Of the Red sea, In Cairo, Mt Baku
aud Nicolaieff, in Russia, and I'm
several provinces of Spain. There
seems to be sufficient proof, says the
New York Times, that the appear
ance of the plague In Spain was due
to the opening of a graveyard where
victims of the cholera four years ago
were buried. Infection from this
source appears to have been con-
fined to the Iberlan peninsula.
From Valencia the disease has been
carried to several other coast prov
incest Madrid,a and across the coun-
try to the borders of Portugal.
Spain Is always in deplorablc con-
dtion from sanitary point of view,
and 1t is, probable the death list will
be long one. If the reports are
trustworthy the disease is ofunusual
severity, for 1t is said that, up to the
IL inst, out OF 1000 persons at
tackled, 7ss had died.
The infection that has caused out
breaks of the disease I'm Arabia,
Egypt and Russia may he traced
more directly to filthy India, the
home of cholera. In August OF
last year was the beginning, In II
village near Bassorah, ut the head
of the Persian gull, of an epidemic
that spread through Mesopotamia,
to Persia, to Syria and to the shores
of the Caspian sea. "Bassorah is
the place of debarkation for the pill
grims from India on their way to
NedjeH and Kerbela, the holy cities
of Mesopotamla. There are landed
the caskets containing the bodies Of
rich Mussulmans, who consider it
their supreme happiness to be
buried in the vicinity of those cities.
These transfers are governed by u
special agreement between Turkey
and Persia" The disease was
brought to Mesopotamia from India
either by the living or by the dead.
At tho end of few months it
seemed to die out, but only to be re-
vived this summer. In spite of the
strict quarantine on the Caspian and
the Black sea, it has crossed one
to Bal<u, the petroleum city, and
the other to Nicoialeff, which Is not
far from the well-known grain port
of Odessa. 1t has also been carried
westward around the Arabian pen
insula to Mecca-or this may be a
fresh infection from India--and
from Mecca 1t has come to Cairo.
1t is from this dirty plague spot
on the Arabian shore of the Red
sea that the disease will probably be
carried along the north coast of the
Mediterranean. The conditions for
the development of the cholera are
almost as favorable ut Mecca and
Jeddah as in India itself Europe
might well take sharp measures tor
defense against the danger of pes
thence born of the ignorance, super
stition and filth of the multitudes
that journey to and from these cities
and are herded together in them.
Cholera first appeared near Mecca
this year on July %, and the Caily
mortality In the two cities was sew.
eral hundred n week later. AT first
the Egyptian government sought to
bar out the disease by preventing
the return of the pilgrims north.
ward, and the strictest quarantine
was enforced, but In all probability
the infection had passed before these
precautions were taken, for there
are cases of cholera In Cairo, and il
Is probable that there are cases al
ports further westward on the south.
ern shore of the Mediterranean
| When the disease was reported t.
have appeared in Valencia, 1t was
rumored that cholera even had been
brought to some of those ports from
the holy cities.
The English might improve the
sanitary condition of India, and il
Is their duty to do more than they
have done or have sought to dc
there. 1t should not be expected
however, that sanitary progress will
be perceptible In the "home of chol-
era, tACtpl bo iNt ub thc uliIi,l aht
the foreign residents are concerned.
But IL in India the almost incredible
pollution of the streams and reser
voirs, and tanks, and the other pes.
tilential practices of the wretched
inhabitants can not be prevented, IL
is possible for the nations of Europe
to unite In guarding the paths that
lead from India to the Mcditer.
ranean. 1t Is possible for them tc
exercise police power ever the
ports on the Persian gulf and the
Red sea and over the traffic In those
waters. 1t Is possible for them tc
establish and maintain throughout
the approaches to the Mediterranean
quarantine or system of sanitary
inspection that would afford protec
tion. The cost of such q system
would be very small in comparison
with the pecuniary loss caused by
cholera in Europe since 1884.
He WILL NOT SUPPRESS ELLA