CHOLERA IN ITALY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1205, 14 August 1911, Page 7

CHOLERA IN ITALY.

SIXTY DEATHS A DAY. By TeleErarh— Press Assoeiation-OoDyrichl Rome, August 11. There have been 797 cases of and 300 deaths from cholera in Southern Italy during the last.five days. A TERRIBLE DISEASE. CHOLERA'S RAPID COURSE. Asiatic cholera and plague may bo coupled together in a class by themselves; alike because of the immense mortality which they cause, their enormous distribution when they become epidemic, and' Uio appalling rapidity with which they can bring about their victims' end, they stand as tho very types of mortal disease. Both are, of course, "infectious" in the modern sense, owing their causation to minute bacilli which are capable of leading a parasitic nxistMiee in tlis human body and secrete poisons so virulent that they bring about the death of their host. Mo secret of the historic poisoners of ancient or mediaeval times compares with the deadliness of the substances formed within tho bodies of these smallest enemies of nor can the organic chemist attempt to vie with them. Cholera is caused by the infection of tho intestinal tract by the "cholera vibrio," the "comma baccillus" of Koch, ono of whoso signal services to mankind was the cultivation and description of this organism. It is an actively motilo microbe, of curved form, resembling a comma without a head. When in active growth the individual vibrois are often seen linked into long corkscrew chains. It is a delicate organism, easily killed by liaut, for it has not the power of forming resistant spores; on the other hand, it can remain alive ami capable of virulence for some time in ordinary water. It is immediately killed by boilin?. When introduced into tho diger l 've tract by the drinking of infected water, the "vibrio" multiplies with immense rapidity, tho numbers of the invading host doubling every ten to twenty minutes. There is thus a rapid and progressive increase iji the amount of their poisons present in the body, and in many cases this quickly reaches overwhelming proportions. The length of time which is necessary for this varies, of course, with tho number of organisms which were present, at tho start and with tho powers of resistance of the infected person. At its worst, cholera is of the typo cf disease which has been said to "kill you before l-yoti know you are ill." The whole scene may bo played out in a couple of hours from the first appearance of symptoms; the unfortunate victim suddenly becomes intensely ill. collapsed, witlt cold skin, sunken eyes, and grey colour, and dies almost immediately of tho general effects I of the poison before tho local effects have declared themselves. _ '

There seems some promise, of success from serum treatment, not of tlio diseased person, but of the uninfected, by way of precaution.' But hero, a.eaiu (says a correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian"), the difficulty of numbers and the opposition of ignorance are likely to prove insuperable as obstacles lo any large decree of success. There is no probability that cholera will ever be stamped out by such methods as these. The best prevention is likely always io be a powerful mid well-organiS'Sil public health service, workins cordially with Hie populace it protects, winning I heir confidence and cooperation. Confidence is in such work tlio mother of success; panic is the certain forerunner of failure.