The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-30
Is THE CHOLERA COMING ?


The official papers are full Of articles show
ing how to circumscribe and cure the
cholera, and they give lists Of mortality
from parts of the empire which it has
already reached. II is reported to be cpl
demic at Baku on the Caspian and in the
villages on the foothills Of the Caucasus,
and observers dread while they predict its
advance into Astrachan. What makes these
accounts alarming is that almost every
epidemic Of cholera which has ravaged
Europe and America has entered the for
mer continent at this very spot-the shore
of the Caspian. The cholera plague or 1882
began its European ravages in 1880 at the
towns on the Caspian, and thence slowly
but inexorably worked its way to the valley
of the Volga, to KazaD. to Moscow. and
finally to the country on the Gulf of Finland
and the Baltic. Again in 1917 it appeared at
Astracnan and pursued the same course,
reaching this country in 1919 In these, as
in other cases Of epidemics of cholera, the
nest Of the disease was in India, but it was
in Southeastern Russia that ii first became
widely destructive to the white race.
The dark feature in the prospect is the
famine which prevailed last winter in Rus
STA. Thousands Of people, we are told,
fered from hunger Their constitutions
must now be precisely in the condition
which renders them suitable prey for the
bacilli of cholera. Their vitality must be
SO low that tLey cannot resist bacterial
attacks IL any substantial portion Of the
people Of Eastern Russia are in this condi-
ton IF body the appearance OF cholera
among them is very serious indeed. Both
AstTachan aud Kazan are populous prov
inces; the former has population Of about
three quarters Of a million, the latter OF
something like two million. The Noiga
flows through both OF them, and in good
years large crops are raised IN its valley.
Last year The cIOps were generally a fall
uTe. Near the western border OF kazan is
the famous city Of NiZli-NovgOrod, where
the great fair is held every July, and 3O0, COO
people from all parts OF Asia aud Europe
assemble to exchange their wares. When
the fair is at its height the town would be
an ideal spot for an epidemic, and il is not
surprising that the Government should have
been asked 10 forbid il.
All through history plagnes have trOdden
on the heels Of famine Events worked in
a circle. M0Harchs went TO war and con-
scripted the peasantry to fight in their
armies. Fields left untitled refused 10
yield their increase. Famines ensued, and,
while the people were weakened by hunger
epidemics broke out from imperfect drain
age, neglected sepulture OF other causes 4;
and the masses, deblitated by insufficient
or Unwholesome food, died in thousands.
Peace came when there were few left TO
fight. Ia most modern countries this Sc
Quence OF events cannot be repeated in cur
time, because wars are infrequeut and sani-
tary science IS understood. But Russia is
still in the darkness which overspread all
Europe two centuries ago. In the realm Of
the Gar the right Of the peasant to cult
vate his field is not admitted and neither
sanitary nor agricultural science is geaer-
ally understood. The famine Of last winter
could have occurred nowhere except IN
Russia. There is no other country where
the Government would not have counter
acted the effect Of short crops by eopious
imp0rtations Of food. But Russia is a law
unto itself. And it is perhaps too much 10
hope that if the cholera should break out It
viii display the yigoT and intelligence neces-
sary TO check its advances.
For Us in this county we are prepared
for that, as for any other disaster which
may beiall The quarantine systems Of the
East have been brought to such perfection
that it is almost impossible for a foreign
epidemic to get into the country if the
health officers do their duty. In 1882 sId
1S49 the guarantees at New York. Boston
and QuebecTere very little better than the
laZzarett0s of the Mediterranean. The
health officials we're neither capable Of
keeping out pestilence nor Of isolating it
when it had got in. Their ineficiency was
pitiable. The faculty was helpless. and
people at large were so incapable OF taking
care Of themselves that trains OF immi-
grants who crossed the plains from Mis-
souri, saw cholera break out among them on
the day after their start. and carried the
dread disease with them for a considerable
distance, marking their path with the bones
Of the dead.
It is different now. Unless medical men
and men Of science are deceived there is not
much danger Of the disease appearing in
our communities.