Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-05
HEALTH OFFICERS ON THE ALERT
Steps Taken to Scrutinize Immigrants
from Infected Districts.
DR.. D0TY EXPRESSES HIS VIEWS
Would Enforce the Most Rigid SAM
tary Rules.
lust ADOPT RIGID PRECAUTIONS
Italian Officials work in COniunc-
tion with Those of United states
TO Prevent Introduction
of Plague.

NEW YORK. Sept 4.-(Specal Telc-
gram.)-Ncw York is beginning to awaken
20 the danger of n cholera epidemic. The
recent holding up Of the Lusitania because
of a suspicious case has served TO bring
home the fact that only the utmost care
can prevent the Introduction Of the plague
which Is now raging la Russia and Italy,
from whence come the majority OF the i'm
migrants landing at This port.
DR.. Doty, health officer OF the port be-
lieves that with the precautions now being
taken md the sanitary arrangements in
vogue. there Is little chance of cholera
getting in. Then conditions are a great
deal better than what they were when the
last fight against cholera was on ia 1898.
However. against this chance, every pre-
caution must be made. 1T Is the irregular
mild case that is the most to be feared"
say the doctors, "and it was thought for
a time that the sick man aboard the Lusi-
tania might be a mild case of cholera.
ut is this sort of case that transmits
the disease around the world" said DR..
Doty this morning
Mild Gases Most Fenred.
while we are practically positive Of
holding up any ordinary case it is per-
fectly possible that an irregular or mild
case might get past under some circum-
stances The cases getting past tho health
officials cause the outbreaks of cholera.
For this reason II is our intention to make
the most rigid examination of all ships
from everywhere. no matter from where
they come, the north or south Medtter-
ranean.
ALREADY many deaths have been reported
TAaI.y NI.s.N wus.,
are watching with great concern just now.
You can't put guard around Italy
which will prevent a person who wants
TO get away from boarding a ship. There
IS an even chance that a person already
infected or carrying food or water infected
with cholera germs will sooner or later
reach an italian port where a vessel may
be boarded for New York. Tho Italian
authorities, however, are taking the most
careful precautions. They do not want
the cholera to reacn Naples.
IAN extra inspection of all vessels de-
parting from Naples is being made now,
not only by the italian authorities. but
by the United states narine-hospltal sur
geon stationed there. Steerage passengers
are subjected to a period Of observation
lasting five days, which is the space of
rlme in which cholera germs develop.
Cholera is a most peculiar, uncertain dis
ease, however, and springs up in most un-
expected places.
Carrying the Germs.
zone of the greatest dangers in the sit
uation is the fact that these people may
be carrying the germs in packages of food
or bottles of water"
DIR. Doty does not fear greatly the intro-
duction into this country of cholera
through German ports. There is United
States marine-hospital surgeon at Hamburg
and also one at Bremen. These officers
work in conjunction with the German au-
thorities and keep good line on the ships.
Besides this, the German sanitary officers
make very strict examinations when pas
sengers from Russia or other countries
cross the German border.
From his representative at Libau. DR.,
Doty receives from each alien laden ship a
detailed bill of health which gives the
local officers a good idea of the people
they have to deal with and what has been
done in the way OF observation and EXTERN
ination of disease possibilities among
them. DR.. Doty believes this will be the
future modern quarantine-that such pre-
cautions viii be taken at the post Of en-
barkation as to practically preclude dam
ger from disease at the port of landing.