Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-05-25
CONGRESS.
THE PLANS TO PREVENT A
NJ SPREAD OF CHOLERA

IHt PLANS TO PREVENT a
NJ SPREAD OF CHOLERA
History Of the Dread Disease
grims 10 Mecca Will Bc Placed
Under Rigid Sanitary Surveil.
lance Going and Returning.
At the missionary meeting in the
chapel of the Calvary Baptist church
in New York, on the 18th, DR.. Stephen
Smith, one of the American delegates
to the recent international sanitary
conference at Paris, talked of the work
of the conference and the plans made
to prevent the spread of cholera.
DIR. Smiths co-delegates were DIR.
Shakespear OF Philadelphia, who was
the diplomat, and DR.. Ballache. DIR.
Smith recently reported the results of
the conference to President Cleveland
who appointed the delegates and who
takes lively interest in the aims OF
the conference. The object OF the
conference was to formulate rules
which, when signed by all govern
ments, would become international
laws on the subject of controlling
cholera and its sources.
DIR. Smith gave this story of cholera,
dating from 1917, when it was first
recognized by the medical profession.
Such a disease had been epidemic for
centuries. This outbreak was in the
delta of the Ganges, place favorably
for its propagation, and it has been
said that every case of cholera can be
traced to musselman on the banks
OF the Ganges. No disease has been
the subject of SO much theoretical
speculation by scientists. 1t was first
remarked that it followed the great
routes of travel. notably those of
pilgrims. Some believe that it was
due to meteorological conditions, others
to ground water, but very early in its
history it was suspected that it was
something carried around by person
or in clothes that was its origin.
Many tried to discover what it was,
and some nearly found out what that
something was. 1t remained for Koch
to find the comma" bacillus and to
learn its methods of life and to fix
what cholera is and ON what it de-
pends.
1t is said that DR.. Smith, one of the
members OF the Paris commission,
still believes in the meteorological
theory. Natives in India long ago be-
lieved in a shotgun policy as is in vogue
in the Southern states in yellow fever
time, q policy of "non-intercourse.
This proved salutary and was followed
by quarantine which in the four
teenth century was adopted by the
Venetians because of the plaques in
intercourse with Asiatics. The Sc
questriation, was for 40 days and the
time gave the precaution its name.
Quarantine became generally popular
all over the world, but England found
it interfered with her commerce and
while she was strict on her own islands
she objected to it elsewhere, but she
had clean towns and an admirable san
itary system. Greece had dirty towns
and no such system and one of her
delegates at the conference said
ave Greeks cannot keep our towns
clean, but in 40 years we have had
quarantine and no cholera. England
has spent s8OOOO,OOO in local santa.
ton in 100 years aud the theory seems
to be" d" Let cholera come; we can cas-
lily stamp it out"
The general and better sentiment,
DIR. Smith said, was to unite all coun-
tries against common enemy, and
not to let person or baggage leave o
port or station unless free from con-
tagion.. France called the conference
just held and the question as to
whether cholera could not be prevent.
ed from getting out of India appears
to have been settled. 1t will take a
year to decide on the program, but the
general scheme is as follows: Every
pilgrim must have a sanitary pass be-
fore he can travel. Such pass must
establish that he is healthy, has money
for himself, and has provided for the
family left behind. This does axay
with the old and poor pilgrims who
were ready to die by the way or at
Mecca. At Bombay the pilgrim must
pass the period of incubation, 5 days.
He must be bathed and disinfected
and have his clothing overhauled and
he can only embark on pilgrim ship
whose sanitation is perfect, whose reg
ulation. attendance, surveillance and
system OF isolation and nursing meet
the necessities of the plan. At Alden,
the Isle of Camaran, Jeddo and Mecca,
the pilgrim will encounter proper san.
itary treatment and safeguards. The
same rules are to apply to the other
routes for pilgrims and caravans.
When he returns he must have q SAN
itary passport and submit to constant
surveillance and sanitation.
The American delegates, like some
others, could not sign the rules, but
accepted them ad referendum. A
proposition to appoint an interna-
tional commission to enforce the rule
was adopted. The question OF regu-
lating the movement OF immigrants to
the United States is under advisement
and q convention will probably be
called TO discuss it. If, said DR.. Smith,
in conversation, rules are framed for
this, cholera and other disease must
stay at home.
NINE of Pacific county's AZ school
districts have q bonded Indebtedness
which amounts in the apprepate tn