Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19
CAUSE OF CHOLERA.
Epidemics in lava Result of
Too Much Bathing.
STREAMS ARE POLLUTED
Disease Is Worse When Water Is
Low. Declares Govern
ment Scientist.
STREAMS ARE POLLUTED

To much bathing by the people OF Java
is largely attributed the spread Of Asiatic
cholera in the island, according TO Will
liam Palmer, the scientist OF the De-
partment OF Agriculture who lectured
last night before the Washington Bio
logical Society on the natural history of
Java. The lecture was given in the new
lecture hall Of the Cosmos Club.
Cholera becomes rampant in Java dur
ing the dry season, from June to Sep
TENDER. when the water in the streams
and rivers becomes exceedingly low,
said r Palmer. The Javanese are
great fresh-water bathers, and the con-
sequence is that infected individuals inn
pregnate the slow-moving. shallow water
courses and in many instances contami-
nate them for miles. The widespread
appearance Of cholera is the inevitable
result
The disease is epidemic there and has
been so for hundreds of years, as long,
probably, as it has existed about the
delta of the Ganges." he continued. Il
understand that medical men call the
particular form of cholera infection fund
in Java cholera sicca'. The victim is
taken i'll in the morning and usually dis
before nightfan There are regions
where natives are found along the road
side in the mornings. having been fatally
stricken. proba bly,. in the early night on
their way home.
Unable to Check Spread.
Such incidents are very frequent, and
have come under my personal observa-
ton. The natives seem utterly unable
to prevent injecting themselves and the
Dutch government is taxed to it's utter
most to handle the outbreaks. White
persons. although occasionally taken with
it. seem immune. most likely from the
stringent prophylactic measures they
adopt
Mr.. Palmer spent several months re-
Gently in biologic Investigations in diff
ferent parts of Java as the representa-
tive OF the Department of Agriculture.
He told of the great variety of bats found
on the island and the peculiar nesting,
places some of them seek out. One va
riety finds shelter in the interior of a
small bamboo branch that to the casual
observer seems too incapable Of holding
1t. The bat enters the bamboo sideways,
apparently contracting itself to squeeze
into the opening.
At one time rhinoceri held a prominent
position in mammal life of the island,
but are slowly diminishing In number
because of the ruthless slaughter by Eu-
ropeans and natives, and with no effort
on the part of the government to stop
1t. The animals are on the verge of eN-
tluCtlOH there, rainier SdlQ.
Finds Deer Plentiful.
Other animals found were brown and
black monkeys. innumerable species of
rodents, varieties Of deer, including an
animal similar to the Philippine caribou
found in the lowland j1ngles and grazing
land, and tigers.
These latter animals are very numer-
rtrcs coli po1 ,,l,
were unsuccessful in shooting any speci-
mems We ran across their tracks a num-
Der OF times and saw several Man-eaters
are not uncommon in the interior of the
island
The second lecture Of the evening was
delivered by F. v. Coville of the bureau
Of plant industry on the production of
trailing arbutus from seed. Mr. Coville
told of a number Of experiments with the
plant. and forcing the blossom for seed.
He predicted the flowers would be as
common in the stock Of professional
florists as the carnation and violet.