The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-19
INFECTION FOLLOWS FEAR.
Panic is the Surest Way to Start
An Epidemic.

"The liability of men to the infection
of plaques is largely matter OF nerve.
in my opinion" said naval officer to
a Post man. There is a reasonable
physiological ground for this belief.
The man who possesses no sand and
gives way TO craven fear in the teeth OF
a rampant plague, like cholera or yell
low jack. for example. devitalizes him
self TO a large extent permits worri-
ment to sap his nervous strength and
energy, and consequently renders him.
self an easy prey TO the contagion or
infection. In the summer of 1895 the
Asiatic cholera stole aboard number
of Japanese warships on the home sta
tion. and IL pretty nearly licked up the
crews of all these Jap men-of-war. AT
the same time the cholera got aboard
the II. $. S. Bennington at Honolulu,
and IL only took off one man, or boy,
rather--a Washington lad BY the way,
named Goebel.
Il feel perfectly certain that the
nerve displayed by the men on the Ben
nington was largely accountable for
their comparatively easy escape from
a heavy visitation. Cholera is not in
digenous to the Hawaiian Islands, but
on this occasion the plague was brought
to Honolulu by q cargo of Chinese COO
lies shipped on the steamer Belgic for
work on the Hawaiian sugar planta-
tions. Cholera broke out among these
coolies ten or twelve days before the
Belgic arrived at Honolulu, but no re-
port OF the visitation was made by the
ships officers when she got there~Con-
sequently the coolies were permitted TO
land, and i'm a day or so Honolulu awoke
TO the realization that the town was in
for a bad cholera siege. The Bennington
moved her anchorage TO distance OF
about 600 yards from the Honolulu
docks, when the presence OF the cholera
was announced, and all hands were
strictly quarantined. The precaution.
however, was overlooked of not per-
hitting the men forward from going
i'm swimming from the ship, and that's
the reason we got the cholera aboard
and lost the boy Goebel
About week after the plague broke
out I'm Honolulu hundred or so of the
men aboard the Bennington jumped over
the side one evening to have a swim.
young Goebel among them. The lad
probably swallowed a mouthful of wa
ter contaminated by a creek that pas
ses through the Chinese quarter of
Honolulu--where the cholera stricken
Cinnamon were quarantined-and emp
ties into the harbor. A couple of hours
after the boy left the water he began
to complain of cramps. and when he
was taken aft to the sick bay and ex-
amined by the surgeon II was found he
had Asiatic cholera. The surgeon and
ship's apothecary worked over the lad
all night. showing no fear whatsoever
of the disease, but they couldn't save
him. and he died early the following
morning. The men knew all about what
was going on in the sick bay, but there
wasn't one OF them that gave the
slightest indication Of showing the yell
low. They smoked their pipes and talk
ed about payday. The apothecary
who attended the dying lad all night
moved freely among the men forward.
and they made no effort whatever to
give him plenty OF searoom.
when the boys body was disposed
Of the skipper had the men mustered.
told them all about the cholera and the
precautions necessary To stave IL on,
IL possibIe. and the men went about
their business when they were dismiss
ed from quarters. The ship was thor
ougbly disinfected. and we had no more
cholera aboard. although the health au-
thorities of the islands kept US quaran-
tined on board ship for over three
months. If the Bennington's crew had
been men OF mercural disposition and
had collapsed from fear when IL was
announced that we had cholera along
sltlt MS as n shipmate IL is ten TO one
that there would have been an epidem-
ic ''-WashingtOn Post.