Smyrna times., 1892-08-31
THE SPREAD OF THE CHOLERA.

The startling official report of the
United States Consul at Hamburg, that
the cholera prevalent there is of the
deadly Asiatic type, coupled with the
news that many parties of Hebrews
from Odessa are on their way to this
country, intensilies American interest
in the progress of the scOurge. Accor-
ding to Eugene Sues grewsOme novel,
the cholera dogs the footsteps of the
Wandering Jew; but its present swift
career has nothing in common with
such primitive methods of locOmotiOn.
The great Bengal outbreak of 1877,
which European physicians first care
fully studied, took six years to spread
into Asia Minor and Russia. In 1880
it reappeared in Persia, and in 1881
ravaged Western Europe, reaching
America only in 1882. A second great
epidemic, that broke out in India and
China in 1841, passed through Europe
to America in 1848. A third, started
in the East in 1850, entered Europe in
1858 and was specially destructive in
North and South America. But this
year the tale of death in Persia and
Turkestan is closely followed by au-
thenticated reports of unusually ma
lignant eruptions in all parts of Euro
pean Russia, with a virulent contagion
and fearfully high death rate, and
from Russia it has apparently passed
with bound into Northern Germany.
Both these serious features are, of
course easily explainable. Receiving
its first impetus among the unclean
hOrdes of pilgrims at the sacred city of
Meshed, the disease quickly spread
/ into Turkestan, and was carried west
| along the old caravan route toward the
| Caspian, but with the added facilities
offered by the railroads constructed
since the last epidemic. Steamers on
the Caspian, the VOlga and the Black
Sea have probably performed, in mum
erOus Instances, but with greater celer-
ity the dread office Ofthe ship Swanton
which in 1848 brought to New Orleans
from Havre the message of death for
thousands of victims along the Missis-
sippi and Ohio, and the emigrant route
to California. The extraordinary
fatality of the present outbreak, with
its record of 800 deaths day in Tehe-
ran alone, city of 100000 inhabitants.
is due in Persia to popular ignorance
and superstition, augmented by a
peculiarly unsan!tary environment.
In Russia, where the Governments
efforts to suppress the facts now appear
especially ill-advised, the heavy NOR
tality is the direct sequel of the great
famine, which left behind AN lmpuver-
ished and enteebled people, with
neither the strength nor the courage tC
resist further physical dia,ress. Cor
hrmatton OF the suspicion already eli
tertained, that Hamburg is visited by
the true cholera" instead of the
comparatively iunocuous type that has
recently ragged in France, shows tha
the disease is moving westward witt
giant strides. In view Of our cOnstan
and intimate relation with the Nortl
, German ports, the most rigid enforce
, ment here Of a strict quarantine is nov
more than ever imperative, and de
tailed information will be anxiOusl,
awaited
The Massilia's conveyance to Amer
ica of "black typhus" was an even
,, recent enough to warrant especial pre-
, cautions with regard to immigrant
i from Russia. Timely discovery au,
: energetic measures aVailed to stamI
out the typhus, but Asiatic cholera i
$ another thing. Odessa, the grea
Russian Black Sea Port, is the direc
outlet for one of the most badly infect
ed regions, as well as the trysting plac
for fugitiVes to another hemisphere
j In 1866, the time of the last great epi
demic, the disease, which spread a
far west as Kansas, was directly i'm
ported into this harbor by European
Emigrant ships. Fortunately season
able notice has this time been given
1t is something new to regard Ger
many AS a source of infection, an,
5 jealous cooperation at Hamburg ma,
5 be trusted to lessen our danger. A
7; any rate careful quarantine, it is cer
il tain, can secure positive immunity
4 and with ceaseless vigilance, therefore
Il our chances of escape remain reason
ably good.-N Y. Tribune.