Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-17

=
shosking - are The statistics Il NOR.
tslity smons the pslxslns - Mesa re
ported from 1unls . fsw dsys ago.
shsfs % 9.ooo Who scs cut but half The
uumbsE retuFnsd. ne sesth rate u this
year - hus httle ErrsteF thaa that II
0fdia2ry pears The health officials 81
Bombay 4nd other indian eities.
according % the >ee York sun.
have fof some time been collect
ing fscts aud statistics b. show
that iadis does not deserve the "a
roputsfion u has II oeing ~the endeNic
hone u cholera. bat that Arabia i The
hone ct the plague. and they are pfepsr-
ing - make Strenuous efforts 90 arouse
Tie Arabian authorities and ca vince
them u tie fact. and % have them APP
ply remedy. some II the statistics
priated n the Bombay Gazette rcyea a
teFrltie state q Affairs
According 20 TIE Official returns II
the health officer q Bombay. Il 9lto
pilgrims Who lest that city Tor Mecca
during the past eight years only
oOtu have cone hack. Thirty
pilgrims in every hundred have
perished 10 every year "a that period
and very many u those rho survived to
return home have come back oaiy TO dic
II disease contracted ca the pilgrimage
The facts adduced so 10 prove that the
p.lgsirls DO not carry disease With them
fEom India There = rigid inspection
al bombay before embarkatsoD, and
every pilgrim - required 10 pass a med-
icai examination. 10 undergo a certain
quagannnsrg process. and 10 possess a
certificate Of good health. The mortality
on the voyage from Bombay To Arabia
l. very small. Ii j. after the pilgrims
have entered the holy cities ana during
the return. that the mortality Is great.
A record is kept by the British consul
AZ Jeddah OF the number OF pilgrims ar
riy4ng AZ and departing from tnat port.
With such particulars as viii insure gen
eral identincatlon- TIE figures OF this
record fully cortoboTate those 81 the
bombay officials. An average estimate
of a mortality of one-thiTd among the
Indian pilgrims in each year. when
there Is 10 epidemic of cholera. Is clearly
established. anu toe belief IL expressed.
fout ded on such cogrotoratlye statistics
as are obtalnaOle. that fully one third OF
al! pisgr.ms 10 Mecca perish IN every
year.
lie Indian officials assert that the
cholera plaques hieh periodically sweep
around the world have their origin IN
the klth of Mecca and Medina there
- a great scarcity of water in these
places. and the quality IL the little
Obimnable is bad. I be famous Holy
Vel at Mecca oders the most complete
conditions for spreading disease. 1t or
dinarlly contains but little water. One
sA.. q raf f.uaftrrn tnf 81.
pilgrimage is TO lathe 10 and drink Of
the water from this we'll and its brink
IL always crowded with pilgrims, some
drawing Its water and pouring II over
their persons. Others dipping II up IN
cups and gourds and drinking IL, The
water used for bathing runs directly
back into the well. and thus diseases are
directly spread.
The authorities did for a time this
year close up the we'll. Drainage in the
city there - little or lone. aud the most
ordinary sanitary precautions were ut
terry disree 4rsied by the ehoked c-oads
OF pilrrir4s. Not alone cholera IL thus
bred ans spread. but the holy cities are
hotbeds II smal-po and Other like ter
riblo diseases. The same conditions are
true of IL Tor. Jeddah and Camaran.
and the Indian health officials will. for
a. pre- lection Of it's people As Rell as for
the sake Of the country's reputation.
make strong endeavors 10 induce the au
thoTitics Of the holy places OF pilgrimage
10 take an interest IN drainage and gen
eral sanitation. 10 have more scavengers
even II they have to have fewer priests
Taey think that the western nation
might prottably take an interest in III,
condition 81 things in Arabia. and the
result Of their Investigations will be
offered in the hope that steps will be
taken 10 crush out ths cholera plague
in what they assume g. prove is rs real
endemic horne.