The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-02

On August &c. 1903. Mayor Zimmerman.
OF Rotterdam, declared officially that the
city under his Jurisdiction was infested
with cholera; on September II it was an
nounced that the epidemic was over. and
that the leading port Of Holland was
free from the disease.
During this short period three impor-
tant facts were established; % That. If
properly taken in hand al its inception,
a cholera epidemic can be checked with
out great mortality: q that If medical
aid is obtained but a short while before
death might normally be supposed 10 en-
sue the patients life can generally be
saved: CD that countries. even at con-
siderable distance from the infected re
gion. are likely 10 become infected. in
spite OF all reasonable precautions, by
bacilli-carriers.
Three children in one family died sud
denly IN Rotterdam on August -. Gin
ical signs OF cholera were found, md
culture tests and meteorological exam
nations were at once made. The results
OF these Investigations were not 10 be
ulEHuktu. II WIS tNl0tilA mat asia AAN
cholera had made its appearance.
Isolation wards and detention sheds
were hastily prepared TO receive patients
as we'll as persons who had been in con-
tact with certain and doubtful cases.
Proclamations were issued warning the
people against the use OF unfiltered wa
Ter. the eating of green fruit, and ex-
cessive Indulgence in the use OF alcoholic
liquors: and the sanitary authorities set
tied down TO what they felt would be
long. hard fight.
Probably no port I'm the world offers
better field for the spread Of an epidemic
than Rotterdam. The river Mas flows
through the city, and lining this stream
right and left IS a spider web Of canals
reaching even the most outlying popu-
lated districts Although these waters
are always fresh. ocean tides. neveFthe-
less, cause a rise and fall of some four
feet. backing up the river water for a few
hours, and then again allowing IL TO flow
out into the North Sea.
Around these waterways lies the city,
twenty feet below the sea level. and so
situated that all sewage and waste has to
be pumped into the river. The municipal
waterworks are supplied by the Mas.
water being taken into basins while the
tide is low and the current is toward the
ocean. BEFORE flowing into the mains
this water is cleansed by highly efficient
sand filtration plant
experimenting this system OF water
ways as disease-carriers is the whole
kingdom of the Netherlands. a network
of canals Small market boats by the
thousand ply on all these canals from
Rotterdam to every village the floating
population OF the country probably be-
ing larger in proportion than that OF
China
Early In the stages OF the Rotterdam
epidemic this river water was found to
be cholera-infected. The entire water
supply of the boatmen, however, was
taken from the river. Clean water was
delivered 10 them free by the authorities
once the river was known TO contain
cholera bacilli. but the bOatmen did not
take readily 10 a change which forced
them TO use the water which they pro-
nounced "tasteless." and much of sthe
injected water was continually used
k'iS, by taking a barrel Of river water
ar Rotterdam colonies Of cholera bacilii