Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-27
Cholera Fast
Disappearing
Along River VOlga

IeSpOHuCllG VI tHS ASSOCldlCu IlSSS.I
Cholera has about run it's course
along the Nolga for this year and, as
the weather grows cooler, is disap-
pearing very rapidly in spite of the
weakened condition of the famine
stricken population and the unsani-
tary condition of impoverished
refugees crowded into camps where
precautions.
Vital statistics are lacking but the
testimony of medical men who have
wide knowledge of health conditions
in the Volga districts indicates that
the death rate among persons who
were taken with cholera ranged from
80 to IS percent. This was attribut-
ed to the undernourished condition of
the population and lack of facilities
to treat the nalady.
DR.. Emily Burkhardt, a Russian
physician who is now in the service
of the American Committee for Re-
lief in the Near East with head
quarters in Tiflis, visited the famine
area recently for the purpose of
studying the cholera situation. She
is an expert in the treatment of chol-
era, and talked with many physicians
and nurses who are battling with the
disease in the famine area. The
testimony Of these medical men and
women was that they were helpless
because Of the lack of beds for pa
tients and proper facilities for their
treatment.
THE work of the doctors and
nurses has been highly dangerous
and hopeless" DR.. Burkhardt said.
"Cnderfed doctors and nurses who
try to care for cholera patients with
out decent hospitals and every IA
clllty for protecting themselves
against the disease know that they
are really risking suicide. The
greatest guarantee against cholera is
a stomach filled with properly pre-
pared food. Proper feeding gener-
ates acid in the stomach which kills
the cholera germs and makes the at
tendants immune.
Years ago / saw one of my pro-
fessors at the University of Moscow
drink a pure culture OF cholera
germs to prove that persons who are
in good health and properly fed have
acld in their stomachs which COM
bats the disease. He suffered no Ill
effects.
THE underfed medical men and
women in the famine area under
take their task with the full knowI-
edge that they risk death every time
they touch patient. Their hospi-
tails are not screened. They have no
saline solution and in most cases
haven't the means Of injecting it.
They are without medicine and fire.
quently without disinfectants.
consequently the refugees who
get cholera must fight the disease
as best they cam
June was the worst cholera month
along the Volga- During that month
the average number of new cases re-
ported at Samara alone was about
-OO daily. In July the number de-
creased and in August was reduced
to 81 a day. Soviet officials attrib-
uted the improvement mainly to in
oculation.
Screens are almost unknown in
Russia. Consequently the great
sWarms of flies prevalent in midsum-
mer doubtless did much to spread
the disease. With the coming of au-
tumn these disappeared.
Every Russian railway station pro-
vldes an unlimited supply OF hot wa
ter for travellers, all of whom carry a
tea pot and drink little water except
in the form of tea. Most of the cit.
les have also provided barrels of
boiled water for drinking purposes
and have numerous hot water sta
tions where boiling water may be
had without charge. Warnings
against drinking unboiIed water are
posted very generally about public
centers in the larger cities. But the
inability of Russians to read and
their general Indifference to sanitary
precautions make it difficult to pro-
tect them against epidemics.