The morning call., 1893-04-09
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST CHOLERA.

The conference of delegates from State
boards of health is now in session at New
York and few of its recommendations
have transpired. 1t proposes. if cholera
makes its appearance in this country, TO
place an inspector on every passenger train
which leaves the seaboard with power TO
Isolate cases Of cholera which occur on the
journey. 1t further contemplatPs search
ing inspection Of immigrants and their bag
gage at the port of arrival. 1t does not
seem that goods or mails carry disease
germs, and no obstruction to their trans
mission is proposed. The boards of health
in the States of tie Mississippi Valley want
separate service of their own. and they
likewise demand a suspension Of inter-
course with Russia.
These recommendations will be received
with the respect that is due to the opinions
of men whose intelligence is above the COM
mon level The plan OF placing an in
spector on every railroad train would in
volve the employment of an army of in
spectors, without making i absolutely GER
tain that they would detect every case of in
cipient disease. An embargo on intercourse
with Russia might keep ont some infected
persons; but as Russian immigrants en-
bark from German, English or French ports,
it would hardly close the door against the
pestiIence. Public opinion would not jus
tfy attempts 10 seetionalize quarantine
measures. If cholera gets into New York
as an epidemic it will be likely to spread to
the Mississippi Valley and vice versa. The
more concentrated the authority the more
effective it is likely to prove.
Champions OF strict quarantine are en-
cOuraged by review of the operations of
the quarantine at New York last year
Quite number OF steamers arrived at that
port with cholera patients on board. or
the latter. many died of cholera and of
nothing else. For nearly a month every
steamer which came in from German or
French ports either had or was reasonably
supposed to have disease germs on board.
Five cases of undOubied Asiatic cholera
were detected in the city Of New York, and
in two Of them fatal result followed. Yet
the disease never gained a fOOth0ld and
never became epidemic. This is a triumph
for which modern sanitary science is entitled
to credit. NhFther the result would have
been as satisfactory if cholera ships had
arrived 1T Boston. Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Charleston as well as New York may
be matter for dispute; by good luck no
such vessels turned up.
It is quite impossible at the present time
to decide whether or no the cholera is going
to cross the Atlantic this year Hamburg,
which was its chief distributing pcint las t
year, is moving heaven and earth TO exclude
1t this season and has gone so far as to
establish new system of water works. In
the old kingdom OF Prussia substantial san
itary blockades have been setup in its prob
able path. II the disease germs float in the
air and are carried great distances by winds
without aiightnG these precautions may not
avail. Ii the germs cannot travel far from
their cradle the plague may BE- pent up in
Russia. Which theory is sound doctors do
not agree and laymen cannot form opinions.
A danger which may prove as formidable
as the cholera may turn up at the Chicago
Worlds Fair. Every one knows that the
water with which Chicago is, supplied is
pumped from the bottom OF Lake Michigan,
into which the city sewers empty, so that
Chieagoans have been said 20 drink diluted
sewage. In the Worlds Fair city physi-
clans of the highest eminence certify that
the water is wholesome. and very likely it
is We have all, at some time or other, TO
eat our peck Of dirt. But the commissioner
of the London Lancet who was sent to
Chicago expressly TO examine the water,
does not seem to have been pleased with
it; and statistics show that diseases of the
typhoid type, which are caused by impure
water, are more prevalent N Chicago than
elsewhere. The fair directors are undoubt-
eddy aware of the danger, and. being men
Of intelligence, they will guard the public
health with all the precautions of modern
sanitary sciene e. An outbreak of typhoid
occurring at a time when 100000 strangers
were in attendance at the fair would be a
serious matter, perhaps more serious than
an importation of cholera from Europe