New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16
COyOUEROR OF THE CHOLERA.

Tho announcement TINT DR.. Haffkine Is pre-
pairing to return to India to continue HIS cam
paign against Asiatic cholera directs rene"eu
attention to one Of the truly heroic hsures VI
the aye We have already described the prih
cipal features of his great and successrui worA
IN BENGAL. which he carried on at his own Pc
cuniory cost and at the serious expense Oh Ills
own health His future labors-if, happily, his
life be spared-wll also be worth watching. III
the mean time his personality merits at least
something more than a passing glance.
As his given Names Waldemar Mordecai' III
d,cate he "a a Russian Jew He was born OF
a well-to-do family in Southern Russia, and was
graduated a doctor Of science with disuh
guIshed honors at the University or Odessa' %
great was his promise of achievements III al.
chosen field that the Natural Science society Vi
Odessa provided him with biologcai iaDor"'oi'
for his exclusive use. He spent hye years 'ne'e
I'm mastery research. Then he became reluciah'-
" convinced that his native land was not 'he
Mace for him. The Governments dlscrilhih"-
ton against and persecution OF the Jews wouiu
nrevent him from ever attaining his f1l meas
IRE of usefulness to mankind. SO, as did thou-
sands of his fellow-Jews he went into exile anu
the very region Of Europe that Is most scourSeu
with Aslatc cholera was thus deprived OF Tie
nrosenca ~ the man who was to be the con-
oucror of that disease. He went to Geneva TOT
a year, and then, seven years ago. Iouno HIS
proper place us Il pupil and assistant OF fas'eur
in Paris There, at any rate the deVout ChriS-
finn and the steadfast jew could work together
in harmony.
We need not follow him through all his years
Of patient research and experiment IN farls'
labors chiefly devoted to typhoid bacteria, ana 10
the cholera germs which DR.. Koch mad dlscoV-
cred in India n few years before. AT last lie leit
SIRE that he had discovered Il way or mastering
the Aslatic plague and he determined to make
trial of IL in Bengal itself. The British Govern
mont would not give him the needed assistance,
"a hp devoted all his own slender means TO the
work. together with sum Of money given To
him for the purpose by Pasteur. His labors in
Bengal not only vastly increased our knowledge
Of the nature OF the disease. but. through more
than T. 900 actual cases Of incubation, demon
stratcd the value Of his preventive treatment.
II is worthy of especial note, by the way. that
the natives Of India who generally resist 50 SUD-
bornly any such innovation, welcomed him and
his NEGOTIATIONS with gladncss. for the reason
that they had for centuries cherished popular
belief that cl0lcra Wouiu one uay pe '"o' VI
prevented by just such method.
DR. Uaffkine Is still suffering much from the
fever contracted by him in India, so that. in
deed he Is almost Frustrated. But he declares
that next month will him in Bengal again.
rrsumlng his former work That is magnificent
but II seems not wise. The example Of Alex
anler Csoma de K0r0s is solemn warning
against sacrificing discretion to scientific zeal.
DR. Haffkine is now barely thirty-six years Old
There IS possibility Of beneficence 10 the human
race in his future years too great To be I'M
perllled by rash exposure to deadly Indian feyers
II Is ensy TO appreciate his eagerncss to get back
10 his work But he will do that work all the
better II he wait until his health is well restored.
He may not do it AZ all II he be too hasty. Tor
lin the grave there is no work and no device
Already he Is hero We trust he may not also
become a martyr