re B. SCHWARZBACH. 
the cholera from taking a hold in other parts of the Empire, though 
this was more probably caused by the absence of those conditions 
which existed at Hamburg. All the isolated cases which appeared 
outside of that city, were traced to infection from the water of 
the river Elbe, and it was most fortunate that this source of danger 
was recognised at an early date. Not by theswift communication 
of railway travelling, but by the slow one of the wooden freight- 
boats plying on rivers, the cholera germ found its way from Ham- 
burg to other parts of the country, and I have already mentioned ~ 
that in this manner it might also have been introduced into the 
town. A special watch was organized in this respect. At four- 
teen different stations on the river Oder alone, somewhat over 
22,000 boats with 75,000 persons on board were inspected, from 
September Ist to October 15th. Of these boats about 9,000 were 
carefully disinfected and twelve persons were observed to be suffer- 
ing from symptoms of Asiatic cholera. This number of patients 
is certainly not large in comparison to the tremendous boat-trafiic, 
but were of enough consequence to endanger those parts of the 
country through which they passed. In several of the boats, com- 
ing from the mouth of the Elbe, the Cholera bacillus was dis- . 
covered in large quantities to be in the bilgewater, and as the 
bilgewater is often emptied in different rivers, the possibilities 
occasioned through this practice may easily be imagined. 
One fact may strike perhaps Australians as particularly notice- 
able. It is this: During the whole of the cholera months, there 
was not for a single day a stoppage of trade and passenger traflic . 
as far as Germany was concerned. The trade naturally diminished | 
to a great extent, for a time at least, because many people were 
afraid lest they should import the deadly germ with the goods, but 
those who were not afraid to keep up a commercial intercourse 
with the Hansa city, had no reason to regret it. In nota single 
instance was a case of cholera known to have been originated by 
the letter- or parcel-post. Also the passenger-trains from Hamburg 
ran as usual, four to six times a day in all directions, carrying 
‘thousands of persons away from the infected port. The passengers 
