The state herald., 1894-01-12
SHoLERA.s ENDEMIC HOME.
Not Irdla, But Arabia. II the Real
Drssding Place Of the Plague.

reported III the Sun from Tunis afew
days ago, where Of 5000 who RET out
but half the number returned, tho
death rate Of last season Is but little
greater than that Of ordinary years,
The heslth officials Of Bombay and
6tkef Indian cities have for some
tirno been collecting fsets and sta.
tistics to show that India docs not
deserve the Ill reputation 1t has Of
being 1.-THE endemic homo OF cholera"
hut that Arabia is the homo OF tho
plague, aid they ore preparing to
make Strenuous efforts to arouse tho
Arabian authorities Ind SohYiilce
them Of the fact. and to have them
apply remedy. Some OF the stats
tics printed in the Bombay Gazette
reveal terrible state Of affairs.
According to the official returns OF
the health officer Of bombay, Of
1909 pilgrims who left tho city for
Mecca during the last eight years
only 60,0o0 have come back. Thirty
pilgrims in every hundred have per-
ishSd In avery year of that period,
and very many who sutvicvd 10 re-.
turn homo have come back only to
dio OF disease contracted on tho pill
grimage. The facts adduced go to
prove that the pilgrims do not carry
disease with them from India. There
Is n rigid inspection ut Bombay be-
foro enbdrkation. md every pill
grim is reouhUa to pass medical
examination, to undergo u certain
quarantlning process and to possess
a certificate Of good health. Tie
mortality on the voyage from Bonn
bay to Arabia is very small. 1t Is
after the pilgrims have entered tho
holy cities and during the return
that tho mortality is great.
A record is kept by the British
consul at Jeddah OF the number OF
pilgrims arriving at and departing
from that port, with such particulars
as will insure Identification. The
figures of this record fully corrobo-
rate those Of the Bombay officials
An average estimate OF ii mortality
Of ono third among the Indian pill
grims in each year, when thore is nc
general epidemic OF cholera, is clearly
established, and the belief is ex-
pressed. founded on such corrobora-
tive statistics rs arc obtainablc, that
fully ono third OF all pilgrims to
Mecca perish in every year.
The Indian officials assert that the
uno1Ds which periodically
world "haye tkcir
BI& OF Mecca and Ne.
dina fMes6h a great scarcity OF
water in these places. and tho quail
ity OF tho little obtainablo is bad
The famous holy woll ut Mecca offers
the most complete conditions for
spreading disease, 1t ordinarily
contains but little water. One OF the
most essential devotions in tho pill
grimage is to bathe in and drink OF
the water from this we'll. and Its
brink Is always crowded with pill
grims, some drawing It's water and
pouring 1t over their persons. Others
dipping 1t up in cups and gourds and
drinking it, The water used for
bathing runs directly back into the
we'll and thus diseases are directly
spread.
Tho authorities did for time this
year close up the well. Drainage In
the city there Is little or none, md
the most ordinary sanitay prccau.
tions are utterly disregarded by tho
choked crowds OF pilgrims Not
alone chol.Ga is thus bred aud
spread. but tie holy cities ARC hot.
beds OF smallpox and other like ter
riblc Diseases The same conditions
are true OF III Tor. Jcddah and
Camaran. and tho Indian health
officials will. for tho protection OF It's
people as well US for tho sake OF the
conntry's reputation, make strong
cndeavOrs TO induce the authorities
OF the holy places OF pilgrimage "a
take an interest In drainage and gen.
eral sanitation; to have more scavcn.
gers, even II they have to have fewer
priests. They think that the West
ern nations might probably tako IN
interest In tho condition OF things In
Arabia, and the result OF their In
vcstigatlons WIN DO offered In the
hope that steps will bc taken ID
crush out the cholera plague in what
they assume TO prove Is Its real en-,
demlc home.
Novel Method OF Electric Lighting.
pnvnltv la ntn,,,st, Ii,1,,.... L.