Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-09-17
CHOLERA AND SANITATION.


 The story of the cholera epidemic in Western Europe as It becomes better known has little that is alarming to American cities with good sanitation. It is more in the nature of warming to those who have negle ;ted the ordinary sanitary precaut!ons necessary in great cities. In Western Europe cholera has become epidemic in but cne city, Ham burg. Berlin, Paris and London may have few cases, but there is little fear of an epidemic in any of these great cities, because they have untainte water supplies, good drainage, careful supervision of the streets to see that they are kept clean, and thorough in- spection of te1ements to compel some means of sanitation. Hamburg has neglected most of these precautions. It is 8 city where extremes meet, and there are to be found stately public buildings, grand churches, beautiful homes on one side, and poverty, dirt and squaler of the worst order on the other.
 The harbor ssctio2, which IS free to ships from every port, is low, traversed by narrow canals which are often stag nant, and these are lined with the most miserable tenements, where poverty dwells in reeking cellars below the level of the river. These lodgings are within themselves cons sUant breeders of disease. This section is also poorly drained, and the water system for the whole city is old-fashioned, with but lax care of the score in the river above.
 This is a condition which is criminal in great city. While the city has had phenomenal growth in commerce, in wealth, and in all that makes a great municipality, it has neglected the essen tial machinery to provide for such great metropolis, and has tried to adapt the primitive methods of century ago to the modern conditions and wonderful development.
 As free city independent in its gov ernment of any national power, Ham, burg has had great opportunity for de- velopiug the ideal municipality and the model city, but in the one essential now considered the greatest in municipal life, sanitation. 1t has been sadly defic- tent and far behind the other great cities of Western Europe. Being free port it has always become the great center where is collected the emigration of Europe destined for the western world. Without restriction or quarantine it was natural that the cholera should find its way from Russia to Hamburg, and in the old city, the barbor quarter, the conditions Were ripe for an epidemic. lfcholera is filth disease there was no place in Western Europe better suit ed to its propagation and rapid develop ment, It Is not surprising nor alarm ing to cities with sanitary regulations to read of hundreds of deaths daily in Hamburg.
 It is reported that the first cases of cholera reaching Hamburg from Poland were quartered above the city near the water supply for the city, and the water they used was allowed to enter the stream without being disintected. But for this criminal folly the newer part of Hamburg would have escaped the in lection which found such easy lodg- ment in the lower city.
 The whole history of the development of cholera ID Western Europe up to the present time has only warning for America. There is no cause for panic. What Chicago needs to meet cholera and not fear it, should not one or two cases reach this city, is clean streets and as clean alleys, wholesome food and pure water, and cleanly habits of life. Cleanliness is the great disenfectant, both for individual and community Inter Ocean.