156 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



by the local health officers, and it is believed the precautions are sufficient and 

 thorough. 



Quarantine at Ship Island, for the Gulf ports, exists throughout the whole 

 year, while at Sapelo Sound and Cape Charles it begins May ist each year, and 

 continues until December. 



Being asked if he had heard of the prevalence of cholera abroad before the 

 publication of the press dispatches yesterday morning, Dr. Hamilton said he had 

 not before heard of its reaching the continent of Europe, but he knew that precau- 

 tions had been taken as long ago as last year on account of its prevalence in 

 Egypt, and had been advised that quarantine against Egypt had been declared 

 at Malta over two months ago. 



The continuance of the disease at Calcutta throughout the winter was known, 

 and interesting reports had been made by Surgeon Major McLeod, of the British 

 army, on the subject. It is still in doubt whether the cholera, which made such 

 ravages at Damietta, Egypt, last year, was brought there from Calcutta by the 

 Indian troops. The EngUsh officials alleged that the disease was caused by the 

 large number of dead and decaying animals in that neighborhood, but recent 

 researches prove that while disease resulted from that cause it did not produce 

 the cholera. 



Official reports received here through the State department from Calcutta 

 show that the cholera has been increasing there steadily for the past four months, 

 and also that it is prevalent on the eastern coast of China. This latter fact was 

 known months before its publication in yesterday's dispatches. 



The commission sent out last year by France, under the leadership of Pas- 

 teur, and by Germany, under Dr. Koch, determined the active principle of the 

 germ, " bacillus," of cholera, but vitally disagreed as to its location. The French 

 commission reported the bacillus to be present in the blood, while the Germans 

 declared that it was located in the intestines. 



Much controversy was excited by these conflicting theories for a time, but 

 Koch carried his commission to India, where the same result was foun^, and, 

 further, he discovered the presence of the same bacillus as those found before in 

 the stricken cities in Egypt, in the water-tanks at Calcutta. This solution of the 

 subject is now generally accepted by the scientific world, and it has a distinct 

 bearing on the means by which the dread disease is propagated as well as points 

 directly to the means of stamping out and preventing it spread. Dr. Koch, how- 

 ever, was unable to obtain any results from his experiments in inoculating the lower 

 animals, but now Surgeon Major McLeod reports that another medical officer in 

 India (Dr. Richards) had obtained definite results by poisoning the common hog 

 with the evacuations from cholera patients 



The treatment of cholera patients at quarantine, based on the discoveries of 

 Dr. Koch, will be to isolate the case as soon as the disease appears, and have all 

 bedding and the evacuations of the patient destroyed by fire. This course is 

 necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. 



If the cholera spreads in France inspectors will be stationed at each of the 



