The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-25
THE ADVANCE OF CHOLERA.

The Asiatic Plague Progressing North.
ward and Westward From Arabia.
New York Times.
Asiatic cholera prevails now in so many
parts of the Old World that it will be hard
ly possible to prevent a 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, at Baku and
Nicolaieff, in Russia, and in several prov
inces of Spain. There seems to be sufficient
proof that the appearance of the plague in
Spain was due to the opening of grave
yard where victims of the cholera epidemic
of four years ago were buried. Infection
from this source appears to have been con-
fined to the Iberian peninsula. From VAL
encia the disease has been carried to sew
eral other coast provinces. to Madrid, and
across the country to the borders of Portu-
gal. Spain is always in deplorable condi-
ton from sanitary point of view. and it
is probable that the death list will be "a
long one. If the reports are trustworthy
the disease is of unusual severity. for il is
said that, up TO the 18th inst, out of 1000
persons attacked, 788 had died.
The infection that has caused outbreaks
OF the disease in Arabia, Egypt and Russia
may be traced more directly to filthy In
dia the home of cholera. In August of
last year was the beginning, in a village
near Bassorah, at the head of the Persian
gulf, 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 pilgrims
from India on their way to Nedl.tf and
Kerbea, the holy cities of Mesopotama.
There are landed the caskets containing
the bodies of rich Mussulmans, who con
slider it their supreme happiness to oe
httr aS in ho vic init nv f,ff
transfers are governed by special agree
ment between Turkey and Persia"
the disease was brought to Mesopotamia
from India either by the living or by the
dead. AT the end of few months it
seemed 10 die out. but only to be revived
this summer. In spite of strict quarantine
on the Caspian and the Black sea, it has
crossed one to Baku. the petroleum city,
and the other to Nicoialeff, which is not
far from the weli-known grain port of
Odessa. 1t has also been carried westward
around the Arabian peninsula to Mecca
or this may be fresh infection from India
and from Mecca il has come to Cairo.
1t is from this dirty plague spot on the
Arabian shore of the Red sea that the dis
ease will probably be carried along the
north coast OF the Mediterranean. The
conditions tor the development of the cho-
era are almost as favorable at Mecca and
Jeddah as in India itself. Europe might
we'll take sharp measures for defense
against the DANGER of pestilence born of
the ignorance. superstition and Fl tn OF the
multitudes that journey 10 and from these
cities and are herded together in them.
Cholera first appeared near Mecca this
year on July %. and the daily mortality in
the two cities was several hundred a week
later. At first the Egyptian government
sought to bar out the disease by prevent
ing the return of the pilgrims northward,
nd Sf mo- mfr
but in all probability the infection had
passed before these precautions were
taken, for there are cases OF cholera in
Cairo, and it is probable that there are
cases at ports further westward on the
southern shore of the Mediterranean.
When the disease was reported to have
appeared In Valencia, it 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 it is their duty to
GO more than they have done or have sought
to do there. 1t should not be expected,
however. that sanitary progress will be per-
ceptible in the home of cholera" except
so far as the army and the foreign residents
are concerned. But if in India the almost
incredible pollution of streams, and reser-
voirs, and tanks, and the other pestilen-
tial practices of the wretched inhabitants
cannot be prevented, it is possible for this
nations of Europe to unite in guarding the
paths that lead from India to the Mediter-
ranean. 1t is possible for them to exercise
a police power over the ports on the Per-
sian gulf and the Red sea and over the
traffic in those waters. 1t is possible for
them to establish and maintain through
out the approaches to the Mediterranean q
quarantine or system OF sanitary inspec-
ton that would afford protection The
cost OF such a system would be very small
in comparison with the pecuniary loss
caused by cholera in Europe since 1884.