El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-16

HE existence of cholera is practi-
cally coeval with the race 1t
has been always present in
Some lands, such as India and China,
while no country is absolutely i'm
mune from epidemic attacks. It's ra
wages far out-total those of any other
plague 1t possesses peculiarly deadly
symptoms which differentiate it from
any other known disease and the true
Astatlc cholera kills more quickly than
any other pest Now that yellow fever
has been almost entirely stamped out
around the Gulf of Mexico, cholera is
the remaining great scourge Of human
life.
The pest has always been peculiar
to tropical countries. in densely peo-
pied localities where the habits of the
massed Inhabitants are uncleanly or
unhygienic. The famine-Stricken dis
tr1cts of India are hotbeds of cholera
While mild forms of the disease, such
as cholera morbus, occur almost every
summer and autumn even in civilized
lands or in temperate climates, the
more devastating and fatal type called
Asiatic cholera originates periodically
In India during every hot season
Religious Festivals Spread Cholera.
The great Hindu and Mohamm
Benares, Delhi, Mecca, etc, occur regu-
larly, though at slightly varying times
OF the year, yet always during the
hotter months. 1t Is an historic axiom
that had the Mohammedan Hegira oc-
CURED in cooler weather, millions OF
lives would have been saved to human
ity. Cholera usually originates at
Mecca, whence it is sometimes carried
! to India, but often the reverse process
takes place. Whenever the movable
feast of the Hegira falls in the hottest
months an outbreak of. cholera in its
most virulent and deadly form may
be predicted. From Arabia the pest is
propagated by shipping freight and
passengers via the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean, while the great over
land caravans, radiating like the
sticks of a fan. carry the scourge into
Turkey and Russia There are two
mainland rontes by which this dis
tributfon has been effected. The first
Of these is by the way of Mecca, and
thence to the Mediterranean countries.
The second is by way Of the Caucasus.
the Don, the Dneiper and other rivers
coursing northward into Russia,to ST.
Petersburg and the Baltic. The latter
route was followed in the severe cpl
demic of the summer and fall of 1910
and by the first route was spread the
dreadful epidemicN of 1885 which fell
with especial severity upon Marseilles
and ravaged the peninsula south Of the
Pyrennees. At this time Spain had
more than third of a million suff-
erers and 120, 900 deaths.
Follows Mecca Pilgrimage.
In the year 1884. Immediately follow
ing the Mecca pilgrimage Of that year.
Asiatic cholera became an spidemic in
those countries Of southern Europe
bordering upon the Mediterranean The
earliest mention Of 1t was at Toulon.
France, June 4. but subsequent inquiry
showed that the disease had been in
PRODUCED by vessel arriving at that
port via. the Red Sea. Toulon had a
population Of about 1000 including
Italians laboTers, mostly Employed in
the harbors who, with their families.
numbered 10000. These. people lived
under circumstances in every way
favorable TO the propagation of the
spread rapidly, anu within two weeks
was prevalent all through the city.
Italy suffered far more severly than
France, the seaports of Naples and
Genoa being the chief seats of the
pestilence. On July II steamer ar
rived at Naples having on board 125
refugees from Toulon. At Naples
again all the conditions were favorable
to the spread Of cholera when it had
been once introduced. The pestilence
developed rapidly after week or ten
days. Up to September II. the number
of deaths in this city was 1921 Next
after Naples. Genoa suffered most
severity. The disease appeared there
simultaneously with its manifestation
in Naples and was traceable with
equal certainty to refugees from