THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF CHOLERA. 711 



That the Nicaragua route is nearer the United States than others is self-evi- 

 dent, but the gain in distance between the Pacific and Atlantic ports is not the 

 -only advantage ; for, granted that much of the carrying trade will still be done 

 by sailing vessels, the " doldrum " weather of Panama Bay and its neighborhood 

 will be avoided, and a gain in time of two or three weeks made by ships using 

 the Nicaraguan Canal. 



The last reason for advocating the Nicaragua route, "that it presents the 

 advantage of a unique harbor between the two oceans," is in itself a sufficient 

 argument to overcome any minor objections. But Lake Nicaragua is more than 

 a harbor. It is a harbor of purest fresh water; a sheet of water surrounded by 

 land capable of producing every variety of provisions necessary for victualling 

 ships; the plains near the city of Rivas are rich in tropical fruits, and the table- 

 lands produce corn, chocolate and sugar, while the cereals of the temperate zone 

 grow upon the mountain sides of eastern Nicaragua. 



On the return of the expedition, much time and labor was given to working 

 up the various journals and levels, and from the figures obtained the exact cost, 

 founded on the price of labor then current, necessary to construct a canal was 

 obtained. To this cost was added the usual 25 per cent for contingencies, and 

 subsequently a still greater amount was added, on the supposition that rock 

 might be encountered two feet below the present profile. The estimates may, 

 therefore, be considered as above rather than below the actual cost, but with all 

 these additions, the Nicaraguan Canal will be $20,000,000 cheaper than any 

 other. — Kansas City Journal. 



MEDICINE AND HYGIENE. 



THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF CHOLERA. 



B. F. JONES. 



I will present an article which appeared in "Bradstreet's," a New York "jour- 

 nal of trade, finance, and public economy," March 21, 1885, upon the subject of 

 water supply in its relation to cholera, which contains as much common sense, it 

 seems to me, as it is possible to get into the space occupied and which will be 

 read with interest by the people of Kansas City. The author is Colonel WilHam 

 Ludlow, chief engineer of the Philadelphia water-works. His reference to the 

 fact that the most common vehicle for the transmission of cholera is drinking- 

 water which has been contaminated with cholera discharges, is a source of com- 

 fort so far as such discharges are likely to affect our water-supply. It is a well 

 known fact that there are no sewers above us on the classic stream from which 

 ■our supply is lak&n to cause the least apprehension — but this article cannot be of 



