Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-22

rapidly changing locale or the stupehuouS
military operations In progress, combined
with other obvious difficulties, so paralyze
sanitary activity. that control of this dis
ease In the Russian, Servian and Ger
manic armies operating in eastern Europe
will be a marvellous accomplishment If II
is effected.
News from the eastern theatre of the
war is very meagre. but we have authori-
tative reports of cholera In epidemic form
In Podola in eastern Russia. and we have
lntimatlons from Vienna and Budapest Of
conditions in the armies in Austrian terri
tory which our knowledge of prior condl-
lions constrain us to magnify. no matter
| how conservative we may desire to be
Another disease which spread over
the world as a result Of the Balkan
hostlitics and which Is likely to be
an Issue of considerable importance
Of the present war is typhus fever.
This disease, whose agencies of trans
mission are favored by congestion,
privation and lack of cleanliness, has
| a history of dread in the Russian arm
les and was one of the conspicuous fea-
lures of the Crimean war.
AT THIS PORT
With such conditions obtaining in
Europe the port OF New York cannot
afford to neglect proper precautions. The
quarantine service here is preparing to
meet any possible emergency. | have no
desire in stating to you what the Condi-
lions are abroad and in implying what
! their possible effect may be upon the
maritime commerce OF this country, tho
| bulk of which enters the Port of New
| York to cause any uneasness in the
! public mind. If we are sane and careful
and take the necessary precautions there
/ Is no reason for the slightest alarm.
| We can control any epidemic that may
visit us. The time to make preparations.
however is now, because efforts to stop
a threatened invasion by disease when
| that invasion is close at hand are at
tended Away by n certain amount Of
| hysteria and therefore are inclined to
! be extravagant. II we are sensible
and logical we can foresce these things
far enough in advance to erect bulwarks
against them.
"The condition in Europe which
| have described as existing last sum
mer was quite accurately foretold by
me in my annual report to the gov
ernor In the preceding year"
| DR.. William r. Jenkins. former health
officer agrees with this prognoss of the
danger to the contending armies from
cholera.
"Snce Sir Almroth Wright discovered
n means to render troops immune from
typhoid fever" he said, fears of cpl
demc among armies have been allayed
In former times typhoid was regarded
as moro fatal than bullets The death
| list from that disease in our Civil War;
! In the Spanish War, and in the Franco
I Prussan war was appalling. The work
of Koch and Pasteur stimulated scien-
lists in both France and Germany along
sanitary lines, and the two countries
have We'd with each other for thirty
years in inquiry designed for the expul-
sion of epidemics and a strengthen hui
man resistance to them.
THE armies will have formidable
enemy. however, If cholera attacks them
There is always risk of 1t with soldiers
from Russia and India. Reports Of its
appearance in Austria may be attributed
to the presence Of Russian troops there
Cholera seems to me the greatest
menace to the war zone. Exhausted
troops will be particularly susceptible
to 1t. II both Indians and Russians are
carrying 1t to the allies would seem close
to danger, although the Germans cannot
hope to escape. There will be no danger
to us because of the regulations for in
spection at ports of embarkation, for
which l provided when health officer,
and because also of tho marked decrease
of immigration at this time"
DIR. ]. W. TRASK
In Washington DR.. j. w Trash, assist
ant surgeon-general of the public health
and marine hospital service, said to the
World correspondent;
IF the spread of cholera. which is re-
ported to have broken out among the
Austrian troops. is not soon checked It Is
| bound to play greater havoc to the armies
engaged than all other Instruments of de-
struction combined"
| DR.. Trask is regarded rs one Of the best
posted men on the subject of cholera in
the United States, having devoted years
of study to It.
| Russia at the present" DR., Trask went
on to say, rs freer from cholera than Is
any other European nation. The reports
which we have received indicate that there
| Is hardly case of 1t within that country
| AS nearly as We can compute from the de-
velopment Of cholera In European coun-
| tries during the past few years. Austria
| Hungary and the Balkan States are now
due for an outbreak of the disease. The
annual report of the public health service
now In press. will show that there Is no
| epidemic of cholera in Europe at the pres
ent time except In Austria-Hungary. Bull
garia Servia and Roumania. In Austria
| Hungary some 1900 or 5000 cases have
| been reported: in Bulgaria II 900, and in
Servia and Roumania 5000 In each In
stance the disease is spread over n wide
area and is not confined to any particular
| locality II would seem. therefore, that
the cholera germ has made itself felt
in all parts of the countries mentioned
MENACES FRIENDS AND FOES.
| Take the Austrian army, where the
outbreak of cholera has been reported.
If its soldiers We're returning from n vic
tory they probably would be careful
about what they ate and drank They
would pass up the contaminated springs
and pools, But If thousands OF them
happened to be retreatng in disorder
tired and thirsty. they would drink from
any spring or river they encountered, al
though the water might lie filled with
cholera bacteria
| while the Austrians are the allies OF
the Germans. they are at present en-
gagged In conflict with the Russian SOL
diers. and an outbreak of cholera among
the Austrians, If not speedily checked
] In IN ha n