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CHOLERA 



connected with them has to be explained before the 

 confidence of the people can be obtained, and con- 

 sidering how long new ideas are in taking root 

 among the general population — and in this case it is 

 not merely the acceptance of an idea, but such faith 

 in it as to consent to submit to an operation — the 

 number is certainly satisfactory for a beginning. 

 The present problem can be compared with the 

 introduction of vaccination against small-pox into 

 Calcutta. It took 25 years before the number of 

 vaccinations reached an average of 2,000 ; whereas 

 the inoculations against cholera have in two years 

 nearly doubled that average. This is a proof that, 

 in spite of the difficulties which every new move- 

 ment naturally has to meet with, there are large 

 numbers of people anxious to avail themselves of 

 the protective effect of the inoculations. 



" Although all sorts and conditions of individuals, 

 weak and strong, sickly and healthy, young and old, 

 well nourished and badly nourished, and often 

 persons suffering from chronic diseases, have been 

 inoculated, in every instance, without exception, the 

 inoculations have proved perfectly harmless. 



" The investigations on the effect of the inocula- 

 tion are made exclusively in those houses in which 

 cholera has actually occurred, the object being to 

 ascertain and compare the incidence of cholera on 

 the inoculated and not inoculated in those houses 

 in which inoculations had been previously carried 

 out. For this purpose, affected houses in which 

 inoculations have not been performed, and inoctdated 

 hotises in which cholera has not appeared, are 

 excluded." 



Nature gave a demonstration in 77 houses. In 

 one house, and one only, all the household had been 



