The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-16
soURCE on ASLATTC CHoLERA

scribe than his accomplished wife, for
he not only knows all about the cholera,
but has himself twice been stricken with
the disease, the second time, in '66,
being taken for dead and nearly buried
by mistake. Not only that, but his
station at Delhi is only 80 miles from
Hurdwar, and Hurdwar is the very city
from which the European and Asiatic
pestilence of this season started. Mr..
Mountford gave a most graphic and
faithful account of the beginning and
spread of the plague.
Mr.. Mountford has been at Delhi
eighteen of the twenty four years he has
been in the British Indian service, and
therefore is as we'll posted as any one
can be upon the fearful disease.
"The actual epidemic cholera of the
Asiatic type" said he, 'always starts at
Hurdwar; never IN China or even else
where in India. In the first place,
Hurdwar is the greatest resort for
religious devotees in all India, excepting
Allahabad, a name better known to
Western people. There are three series
of festivals at this city, occurring, one
annually, one every five years, and one
other, the greatest, every twelve years.
To the place there resort the various
Cdobto vi luuid nOb ny OhOuS'hbo Ouo W
millions. The number annually present
during the bathing season is upward of
five millions at the opening of the spring,
about the month of April, and the
religious season continues six weeks.
This year was one of the five year
festivals, and some twenty millions were
present. The twelve year period brings
from one third to one fourth of the popu-
lation of India-or about one hundred
millions-probably the largest congre-
cation ever gathered.
ITO explain why the great meetings
are held it must be remembered that
the Ganges is the sacred river of the
Brahmin people, and that its waters are
supposed to wash away sin. Hurdwar
is the farthest point up which the popu-
lace can go before the Himalayas are
reached. Just above the city is narrow
cleft in the rocky wall whence issues
the, to be, mighty stream-and this cleft
is but few feet widel
THE cause of the Asiatic cholera is
the uncleauliness of the people. There
are no sewers, and although the British
Government has tried to remedy this by
digging trenches, it has proved of no
avail. There are no sanitary arrange
ments, and, as a consequence, this place
-four or five thousand years old-is
great cesspool.
"The present epidemic broke out when
the millions were assembling during the
last week of last March. 1t reached
Delhi the second day of April On the
third day there were 900 deaths
The disease is now spread in two
principal ways. First, the Government
has constructed railway branch to
Hurdwar-a channel which cannot be
stopred-and, secondly, the Ganges
River bears the disease throughout its
course of 100 miles to the ocean. The
pIagIF- nf this year in one month had
spread over India, IA two and one-hal
months to Cashmere and Russia"
Mr.. Mountford criticised the Presi
dents 20-day order. why" said he
"chclera germs retain vitality from three
weeks to 40 days. 1t takes the boats
from 20 to 25 days to go from India tt
Hamburg. Yet vessels have carried
passengers from Bombay to Hamburf
who did not come down with the dis
ease until they had arrived at that city
1t is a common expression in India TO say
that the disease will break out in Al
days.
Mr. Mountford was 10 years old whel
| ne MAS llTSJ dJldChCu W1bh OhOAOA"s
was In 1862. In IS hours the attack il
over. The disease begins with purgini
and vomiting. After an hour or two tn
cramps commence. A few experience
cramps in the stomach first. Mos
people are attacked in the feet. Th
feeling is of an iron bullet-heated reC
hot-rushing up the muscles of the lei
until the stomach is reached, when tn
pain becomes excruciating. Although
Mr.. Mountford vas mere boy four me-
were required to hold him down. A
that time the body of one of the militar
attaches of the Government was sewe
up in gunny bag and placed on a tabl
in a deadhouse, with surrounding
corpses, ready for burial-one great pi
being dug for their reception. But ID
Warfter, the apothecary, was surprise
to find the corpses on the ground upo
entering into the morgue, with the e1
ception of Kirby, and more surprise
when that individual sat up and greete
HIM with "Good morning, Doctor.
This illustrates the violence and freak
of the cholera.
The continual cry of the stricken is fC
water. Formerly the Doctors used ht
, drinks: now cold drinks are found to |
the better. The recovery is exactly til
reverse of the attack. But the exhau
ton is so great that for three montf
one feels disjointed.
"It was pity" says Mr.. Mountfor,
"the President didn't proclaim fort
days quarantine, with no distinction
Cabin passengers are as likely to brir
the epidemic, for of course the first cla
: hotels are supplied by servants from Il
= lower quarters.
"Other reasons why the disease
/ readily starts at Hurdwar," continue
/ the speaker, ''are the change in china
? the pilgrims from the plains of Ind
undergo, the temperature being 6t
/; whereas it is 1862 on the plains, and Il
S amount of sacrifices offered and deca
/; ing.n
!; "Why does not the British Cover
f ment try to break up the nuisance
t asked the reporter.
S WImpossible," was the reply, st
English would lose India" They tri
!; to quarantine this spring by stoppil
+ the pilgrims before they reached Hun
!; war. AS consequence the prizes
, threatened to file action for $250,0OO
!; your money. And the outgoing trai
n carry the dead. The polluted Gang
spreads the plague clear to Calcutt
The disease does not break out
n Allahabad, which is the junction of I
1 Ganges and the Jumna.
n Sporadic cholera-cholera morbus
e frequently occurs at Calcutta. t
n Government takes action when the tr
!, Aeiatic cholera breaks ont In the ore