Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1895-10-07
CHOLERA BY WATERMELONS
a HIS LUSCIOUS FRUIT 4 BREED Nc
PLACE FOR BACTERIA.
'1sanN Deaths sofFofeigners From Che o.
'er"ic symptoms in shanghai
Attributed TO n.

The following article from
Eecent number of The Celestial
Empire contains much that is ap.
plicable to Honolulu, and should
Commend itself to the careful con-
slderation of the health autho-
rites.
The past two weeks have been
excessively disastrous to foreign
9rs in Shanghai, nearly a score {
residents having died suddenly
during that time. One of the
most certain causes seems to be
tbe consumption Of watcr.melons,
which has in not a few cases
caused collapse within two or
5hree hours. Tbs is scarcely to
be wondered at when the nature
of the fruit and its mode Of con-
veyanCe into the market and sale
IN the street are considered.
The sweet Juices of this fruit are
theoretical breeding places for all
classes of bacteria, and every OPP
portunity is offered them of being
inoculated There is unfortunate
y no question that a very large
portion of the melons are brought
5n from the country in the boats
which have conveyed away from
Shanghai the garb0ge and
night-soil of the Settlement.
The slightest bruise Oh the
skin permits the entrance Of
every imaginable kind of bac.
terra, and even without scratch
ing there must be contagion in
such place. Then the method
Of sae-to Chinese principally, it
is true-is a fertile source of dan
ger. On any of the streets vendors
may be seen day and night, with
4 small table covered with slices
Of this succulent fruit, exposed to
che rays of the burning sun, and
offered for sale for a couple of
0sh apiece. The action Of the
sun causes these pieces to dry
rapidly, and the wind constantly
watts the dust and filth of the
streets over their surface. The
soil isalways ready, but the growth
of these bacteria is helped by the
habit of the vendors of sprinKIing
any dirty water upon the fruit, to
keep it moist. Is it wonderful
then, that the coolies and COM
mon people, already run down by
The excessive heat and hard work,
should, upon eating this muck, be
att cked with vomiting and in a
i ew hours expire? Several deaths
have occurred amongst foreigners
fr9m the Same cause. These
folks may have eaten excessively,
or have had fruit in bad state,
or eaten under wrong conditions,
but as a matter OF fact, several
have, almost Immediately after
eating, been attacked with cho-
leraic symptoms, and in too many
cases have d,ed within "a hours.
An attempt has been made to pro-
a bit the importation of this fruit
1uring the hot spell, but this has
proved impructlcable. The only
way seems to be for each person
individually to refrain from eating
What has proved in several cases
20 be rank poison. This we
recommend to every one of our
readers. The number of water
melons eaten in Shanghai is some.
hing enormous. We have been
sold on g"od authority that no less
chan thirty extra C, rts have been
ustd for the purpose of carting
Away the outs des of tbs fruit
&hat are thro@n down in the
streets; whilst the banks of the
river and creeks ar" literally
>tr wed with them. If these out
sides Of melons are not c,rtcd
away at once they begin to decay
and cause a stencil and arc a
source Of spreading disease; $ we
are glad to kl ow that the Mum
cipaI Authorities are taking every
precaution in this direction.