Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-16
WHERE SCIENCE Is HALr1NG.

The statement in a recent issue of q
well known medical journal that it is now
conceded that germs of cholera are not
destroyed by burial in the earth is all at
variance with the popular idea that earth
is perfect disinfectant 1t was Dr. Koch
who first discovered that cholera depended
for propagation upon living organism
though DR.. Emmerich, of Munich, was CO.
temporary with him in declaring that he
had discovered a straight bacillus which
differed somewhat from the curved variety
cultivated in Koch's laboratory-and it was
DR.. Koch who presented first the statement
that the germ did not die upon immersion
in soil.
But before either of the learned men
named above had developed his theory, the
people of a little town out In Western Kan
sas had arrived at the belief that burial
does not destroy cholera germs, and. what
is more, displayed the courage of their
convictions by sending up q vigorous pro-
test against the disinterment of certain
bodies which had come to death through
that disease. During the summer Of 1867
there were thirty or more deaths from
cholera at Fort Hays. The epidemic was
not confined to that post alone, but raw
aged several Of the settlements of West
erR Kansas, including Fort Harker. and
the adjoining town of Ellsworth. At Fort
Hays there is a military cemetery in which
all of the cholera victims were buried. In
1888 the post was abandoned and the gov
ernment let contract for the removal of
all bodies buried in the cemetery to Fort
Leavenworth. The contractor was proceed
ing with his task when II came to the
memory of the older Inhabitants that a
number Of the cholera victims would be
included in the disinterment. and right
then and there a vigorous protest went up.
The citizens organized, opened up COM
munications with the war department. Sc
cured An admission from the surgeon gen.
eral that the disnterment might possibly
be fraught with danger, and, finally, were
rewarded with an order from the secretary
of war which left the bodies at the Fort
Hays cemetery undisturbed. While it was
fear and not scientific knowledge which
actuated the good people of Hays City, the
declarations of DR.. Koch and other modern
scientists. that burial is not alone sufficient
10 destroy CnoleTd germs, ought 10 give
them a selt-satisfying feeling of justifca-
ton and pride.
1t is not commendable TO modern day
science that so little is known of a disease
which has found its victims in SO many
climes and in such shocking numbers
While America has been comparatively
free from cholera epidemcs, it has visited
us on four separate occasions and fright
ened us out Of years of growth on several
other occasions, as for Illustration, during
the summer of 1892. In 1s4s, 1852, 1867 and
| 1873 the United States was visited with
cholera and suffered many deaths. though
| the per cent was insignificant when COM
| pared to the Aslatic countries. which ap-
pear to be the true home of the disease.
| 1t is computed that in the world at large
more than 100000 persons perished from
cholera during the past century. Under
| these circumstances it seems almost in
credible that the scientific men should still
| be disputing as to whether 1t is a micro
organism or something else.