The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-10
HYGIENIC CONGRESS-
DIR. billings, AMERICAN REPRE-
SENTATIVE, MADE THINGS LIVELY.
DIR. Ernest Harts Furnished an Inter-
esting Paper ON the Origin of ChoI-
era in the Ganges Valley.

BUDA PESTH, Sept. AT the session
Of the Hygienic Congress. Saturday. an
interesting paper on cholera was read by
Dr. Ernest Harts. He argued that the dis
ease came from the valley of the Ganges,
where there is an utter disregard Of sani-
tary precautions and where the people
habitually drink polluted water. DIR. Harts
said it seemed certain that persons could
touch and even rub cholera patients with
impunity The danger consisted Of the swal-
lowing of the bacillus, which, DR.. Harts
contended, live two lives-one in the human
body, multiplying within the patient and
poured forth by him apundantly, and the
other outside the body in damp ground,
dirty water, linen, ETC., to be swallowed
by some one else, in order to start again
Its destructive course. Cholera" he said,
sis spread broadcast by pilgrims to Mecca
and elsewhere. The government of India
must watch the fairs and festivals i'm that
country. and Europe. by international
agreement, should guard the pilgrim track
by isolating early cases. The Sultan of
Turkey ought TO adopt measures for the
thorough sanitation of Mecca, which is a
nursery of cholera"
On the conclusion of the reading OF the
paper resolution was adopted expressing
the full approval of the congress of the
Dresden convention respecting the disease.
Some disagreement ensued< regarding a
number of resolutions submitted, owing to
the fact that many of them were not trans
lated, and were apparently not understood
by a majority of those present At an
early stage of the discussion DIR. Billings,
who represents the American government
and several scientific bodies. energetically
protested against the wholesale adoption of
resolutions that were unexplained and i'm
perfectly understood. and urged that an in
ternational congress Of this kind should
only pass resolutions regarding which a
general consensus of opinion existed. Res
olutions, he added, had been presented and
adopted, one after the other. because no.
body took the trouble TO object TO them.
(Cheers) He would object TO every resO-
Rnrther cheers) The voting then proceed
ed amid increased confusion, and the reso-
lutions were passed or rejected for no ap-
parent reason. DIR. Billings renewed his
protest and said that while there were
two thousand five hundred members OF the
congress resolutions were being passed by
that the number OF votes on each resolu-
tion be recorded. (Cheers.) The president
thereupon ordered a count of the delegates.
and found that eighty-siX were present
Dr. Lowe. OF Vienna. said that by its
present conduct the meeting was simply
destroying the work of years Important
only a few OF the delegates were ac-
quainted with the subjects. A resolution
was shortly afterwards read relating to the
compulsory insurance CT cattle. DR.. Bill
ings protested that this was not hygienic,
but commercial question The resolution
was rejected. Another proposal TO appoint
international committee TO make pre-
liminary studies for an international phar-
macopoea was submitted. DR.. Billings
said the question for a medical or
pharmaceutical congress, and had nothing
10 do with hygiene. This congress, he
declared might as well propose TO pass
resolutions bearing international law
(Cheers.) The resolution was rejected. 9th
er irrelevant resolutions met with SINH
lar fate.
The attendance at the sessions gradually
dwindled, until to-day. when adjournment
was had, IL was less than nifty. AT the
dnal sitting Herr Won Hieronymi. Minister