Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-04


ment, is much higher than even Russia re.
ports. 1t must be admitted that tn,
bacteriologists have furnished no new
weapon against the enemy. DR.. Koch has
| identified his comma bacillus at Hamburg
but the new branch of medical science has
nothing to offer yet, beyond resistance in
making correct diagnosis, which has hardly
been needed. Right here let it be said that
the medical men on this side have
| abandoned the deceptive nonsense involved
in the terms ''cholerine, "cholera nostras"
and 'choleraic" which have been used in
connection with the cases on the Moravia in
New York harbor. They say the only
name for the disease of this nature, which
kills in a hours, is cholera.
A point which is to-day arousing greater
popular apprehension than anything else in
England is statement in a public address
by DR. Ernst Hart, yesterday. DR.. Hart is
the Chairman of the National Health Soci-
ETY., and editor of the British Medical Journal
He should be an authority on cholera, and
he holds that its period of incubation is l to
10 DAYS The average is two TO
hVe days. The English public has
assumed that the disease ALWAYS breaks out
within "A hours after infection. The Gov
ernment health authorities seem to hold the
latter belief, for all their quarantine regu-
lations are based on that assumption, ANY
body in good health who has not travelled
on an infected ship is allowed to land and
go his way as soon as he reaches English
shores.
The Disease Sure to Develop.
The chairman of the Health Society
points out that 1t is not cnly possible, but
unavoidable that many should pass through
our ports in apparent health, who, after a
few days, develop serious or fatal cholera.
That DR.. Hart is right is abundantly
proved. The past week about 80 cases of
cholera have occurred in different parts of
the Kingdom, the victims being in every
case persons who landed from an infected
district in apparent good health one or more
days before they were attacked England,
therefore, as far as quarantine precautions
60, Is almost at the mercy of the epidemic.
The health authorities say they have no
authority under the law to compose stricter
quarantine. The most they can do is to re-
quire well person coming from an infected
district to give his name and destination in
order that the local authorities may be
notified to keep track of him.
The newspapers are almost silent on the
subject A few days ago they expressed
universal satisfaction over the energetic
preparations which were being made to
meet the crisis Since the first of the week,
while the news columns of the leading
papers have been filled with tidings of the
epidemic, save few feeble slurs at Presi-
dent Harrison and Americans because of
the measures adopted for keeping the dis
ease out of the United States
Quarantine Not Safeguard.
Two or three papers to-day argue that
I Ish
effective than the American. They affirm
that experience has proved, both in this
country and India, that quarantine fur
nished no adequate safeguard against the
Introduction of cholera They point out
that the imposition of American quarantine
regulations would mean practically nom
intercourse with the continent, an evil
which they assure is not to be thought of
tor a moment
Even with the imminent danger of chol-
FRA epidemic it is taken Tor granted by
everybody that there will be as many cases
of cholera introduced during the present
month as there have been during the past |
week. Public confidence in the ability of |
ocal sanitary authorities to prevent the |
pread OF the contagion from any of these |
many sources is unshaken. There is, in
Iced, far less popular anxiety over the sit |
lation in London than in New York, if the /
dispatches which are printed here correctly |
epresent,American sentiment
1t should be added that London was never
n a healthier condition, and the circum-
tances are not at all favorable for the
presd OF the pestilence. If it should come
,edical men and local health authorities
re everywhere preparing for any crisis.
The Imminence of the Danger.
The imminence of the danger is indicated
y the publication yesterday of an appeal
lgned by Princess Christian, President of
be Royal British Nurses Association.
all1ng upon trained nurses who are will
lg to attend cholera patients to enroll
themselves and to be ready for instant
eryice in the East Indies. The autbori-
es are particularly active in their prepara-
ons for any emergency. The sanitary con-
ltions of London's Eastslde, 1t is satsfac-
on to note, has very radically improved in
1e last two years.
The Local Government Board to-day
axes public announcement that its prepar-
lions for whatever NAV come are com.
lete. 1t further expresses strong conf
ence that London will escape anything
oproaching an epidemic of cholera In
lew OF this confidence it will perhaps not
roVoKe undue alarm to suggest that it !
ould mean to have the experience of Ham,
lrg repeated in this metropolis A SINH
rate Of mortality in London as compared ,,
lth the work of the pest in the afflicted ,
erman city this week would involve from ,
,ooO to 80 600 a day here.
If the danger to England is great, that to
rance and other parts OF Germany is far
eaer Quarantine in its ordinary sense
impossible, unless absolute non-inter-
urse with infected districts should be
oclaimed in France. The regulations are
ry strict and the penalties for violation
ath.
Severe Punishments Provided. {
Notices in the French, German and En- i
sh languages are now displayed at the | t
rious terminals In Paris of the railways q
ich convey passengers from foreign coun- u
es, advising travellers of the many severe '
nishments which befall those who in Q
nge the sanitary laws
Che various contaminated countries are 1
'ided into three cstegories, those where C
iatic cholera is known to exist, those o
ich are only suspected of harboring dis Il
e, and those with which communication g
allowed to be kept up, after passengers b
refrom have undergone a medical exami- o
ion. One of the penalties incurred is il
It OF death in the case of persons hiring e.