The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-27
PLAGUE MENACE.
New York Worried Over the Pres
ence of Cholera.

and City medical authorities have
been working night and day for the
past week or more in and around
New York city to prevent the spread
of the dread Asiatic cholera, which
has already claimed several victims
at the Swinburne quarantine station
near that city. All suspects are be-
ing held at the station. The situa-
ton is serious, as cholera spreads
with great rapidity when it gets a
foothold in a country.
Every possible effort is being made
by this government to prevent the
inroads of cholera to the United
States. With the most rigid quar-
antine in force in New York, the
Federal public health service has
strengthened it's inspection abroad
and detailed instructions have been
issued to all health officials as to the
best means of facing the menace. AS
sistant Surgeon General is watching
the situation here for the public
health service, keeping in close
touch with Surgeon General Wyman
and cooperating with DR.. Doty at
quarantine. All vessels arriving in
this country are being thoroughly in
spected.
At Palermo, Naples, and other
Italian ports, cholera is epidemic.
Hundreds of victims have died from
within one to "a hours after con-
tracing the disease. On the steam
ships sailing from Italy to the United
States, the Italian government, try
ing it's best to cooperate with the
American health officials, send specl-
al health officers to observe any pas
sengers who may show signs of
cholera. These officers have been of
valuable assistance to the American
officials. Quite a large number OF
ships have been held in quarantine
at Swinburne> and Hoffman islands
the past two weeks, no passengers
being permitted to enter the port OF
New York.
Cholera has developed among some
of the passengers after they have
been in quarantine for over a week,
which emphasizes the fact that the
strictest sort of guard must be kept
on passengers from Italian ports.
DR.. Doty said regarding a visit from
one of the psychological experts OF
Gen. Walter Wyman's Marine Hos
pital corps at Washington.
'The visit of this expert shows the
increased precautionary methods
which are being taken. by the United
States government all along the
coast to prevent Italy's present out
break of cholera from entering this
country. The government is going
into the psychological side of this
threatened cholera invasion with un-
usual care.
ssThe thing in fighting cholera
is to isolate each case as soon as it
is suspected, and, secondly, to take
care that there is no local infection,
like the contamination of the water
supply, sin the case where the sus-
pect cases are isolated. That is
why 1 detained all the passengers Of
the Moltke, although at the time
there were no absolute cases Of
cholera among them. I let the crew
take the vessel back to Europe, but
refused to allow any of them to come
ashore.
"Great precautions are also being
taken at Italian ports to keep the
cholera from leaving them and get
ting to this country. The American
and Italian governments and the
steamship companies themselves are
combining to segregate all prospec-
tive passengers on large floats in
Italian harbors for several days be-
fore the ships actually sail for this
country. Preliminary symptoms Of
illness are CAREFUL Y atched for. All
private stocks of foodstuffs and fluids
are taken away from the passengers
and archaeological examinations in
many cases are made"
Cholera, the prime cause of which
is one of the most perplexing ques-
tions with which scientists have to
deal, originated in the East Indies
and was not known to migrate for
more than 1000 years. It did not
spread in Europe until 1880, when
it created terrible ravages. The
Russians took it from India through
couriers and stage coaches. Cholera
is usually ushered in by vomiting
and gripping pains in the stomach.
Death follows in from one to "a
hours. If life is retained longer than