New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-23
THE CHOLERA IN TURKEY.
SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS THAT PROVED A
SAFEGUARD.
OBSERVATIONS or MEDICAL MISSIONARIES AT
vAN-THE USELESS QUARANTINE BOILED

NAN-THE USELESS CCARANI1NE-BOlLtD
WATER AND HOT FOOD INDISPENSABLE.
TO the Editor OF T he Tribune
sir: Now that .,siatic cholera has becom" matter
OF than theorcic Interest in the United states. 1t
may be beneficial TO know Of its workings at home In
congenal A,iatic environment.
Last August | reached Cons,antlnOplc in company
with II medical missionary OF the American Board, en-
route for Van, old city Of A,iatic Turkey. sixty
miles southwest Of Mount Arara. We remained In
Consantinoplc month. hoping that cholera would
decrease In the interior. and that we might escape
quarantine. \ week after arrived the city was
surrounded by Gordon of quaran,ines. some Of ilem
IN unreasonable certain dones in Newlork llarbor
about the same time. The Satan has been told that
he must die Of cholera. and he intends to keep 1t
out OF his city as long POSSIBLE.
The horizon had cleared very little when We LEFT tic
vial Tor Trcizond. Black whore We arrived
In September. They had had cholera in Treiizond
but the city was then clean, and quarantine pro
| tcctcd II against the interior. We waited thre"
weeks. until quarantine from that city TO Erzroom
vas declared on. and then came on TO the latter city,
| which We reached late in October. At that time
cholera killing 200 people Il day. The only
efficient doctor In the city young Armenian
graduate OF Bellevue. who was having far more thah
he could DO. The Turkish doctors attached 10 the
army all terribly frightened. The story was
current that they used opera glasses TO view the
patients from Tie door, and my self saw one enter
the room of a dying woman holding large towel
saturated with d!,infcctant before his face. III
this he gave one look said lie could do moth
Ing and left lie was right. for The woman died
within twelve hours.
From Erzroom we made a scvcn-days' journey Ia
the north shore OF Lake Van, where were stopped
at squald mud-viage by a tendays' quarantine
The only unoccupici shelter was an undo rgrouhd
stable, and I'm this, with servants ana hors'S We
lived on, the ten days. This quarantine was 10 pro
tect Van from ErZroom. and was continued Il month
after cholera was raging in Van. III" fact seems t"
Ice that The Turkish Government has found Il new
way In which coin money, and II enjoys the novel g"
pcricnce The little village was crowded Win carr"
van, Of horses and camcs. whose poor drivers were
reduced amo,, to starvation. The official charges
were over 30 cents a day. and TO pay these many
Of the drivers compelled to sell their animals
and walk back To Ezrcom ruined.
When AT last reached Van doctors were III W.
mand This old city Is Inhabited chiefly DS AT
mcnlans but there are enough OF the dominant ''c
here TO maintain autonomy. 1t was among IN" Sol
dcrs that IA" soourgc worst The Official reports
are worthless and no knows how many died.
Among the ArmcnianS the mortality WAS lar less
heavy As soon as the medical missionaries reached
the city they consulted with the leaders In the hav"
church. and organized ncighborh)od committees 10
d .pcnse advice and medicines The great danger
herr. CONES from the vatcrcOur>cs, the pride oil Inc
city, that are led from pure mountain springs In
large city that lies outside the ancient walled town.
All water Is taken from these. and all filth goes INT"
them strenuous efforts were made to impress on
the people the danger in this direction. ana advice
was Needed TO III very surprising d"gr'" among
orienials II Is said that about 30 Armcnmns
died the majority bcor, machinery Of relief was
put into order Among the Turks nothing OF the
kind wa, possible rs TIL, very paernal Government
will permit no tampcriIg With it, own children.
In wat, hing this epidemic several facts have been
very evident. F.rst-Thc infection Is powcrlesS
among people who careful to cook all water
and food. We worked among tie people without
regard TO Infection, staying with them for hours,
applying friction. etc, but We drank boiled water
and ate hot food. In Il native house near Us. where
sanitary rule, were strictly obclcd, one OF the
women. In blavado drank three cups Of unboilct
water saylng 10 the rest " Let's what II VIII
do She died IN Just tweniyfpu hours
se-ond-The majority OF cholera case can lie saved
II proper m, ans are used at The very beHnning-
,hat Is Ius ~ soon ~ abdominal trobi" shows
i.rlf or treatment consisted OF rest. opium. cam
Tmrl-Ihrrr are some case, that nothing can touch.
although ATTACKED AT the onset. These seem t. b,
cn.cs where such amount II poison hd, entered
me syst.m That death comes almost before symptoms
W. were called one afternoon L. So woman VINO
Lad hccn spinning the picvipu evening. About
midnight she entered her hu-band's room saying ,h"
Sick. When Ne saw her at > O'Clock she WIS
unconscious and she died carly In the evening
ionrih-!n this epidemic the number OF rapln
convac-ccuccs had been snail. Most Of the patterns
some Ultimately died OF uIacmll while others finally
recovered health.
Hfti-Watrr. taken 10 appcas" IN" almost infoi"r-
able thirst during the acute stage i absolutely ainI
We saw th, TACT demonstrated again and asun. Inc
most striking instance. " woman wh) had rallied
from the c.llape. and wac two day along III al un-
usually favorable convalc ccncc. That night, when
the family asleep. she rose, won't wn 10 IN"
,lri and drank all Size wanted The relapse came
within an hour, ana She died the following day
FINALLY IL takes more than slight cold 10 put
an end 10 a cholera epidemic. The disease did not
appear In Erzroom until after The heat 81 me sumner
wa, over. and 1t did not get from Persia To Van
until we'll on in November. We are hoping that
mi, unusually severe cold that now enjoying
may prevent return in the spring. But that time
must decide. .
LOUISE RUSSELL SMITH. 4. NJ, NJ. d.
Van Turkey In Asia, Feb. Z. 1913.