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17
For the comfort and health of those whose business or pleasure takes them
on the river it is greatly to be desired that we may be favoured with a
continuance of the present weather.
CHOLERA.
According to published reports the cholera has existed for some months
during the past year in Mesopotamia and the valleys of the Tigris and
Euphrates.
This appears to have become much more active during the latter part of
January and February.
During the last week of January it was reported that 3,000 fatal cases had
occurred at Bussorah, including the English vice-consul and two of his family.
Your Medical Officer, therefore, suggested to the Local Government Board
to issue an order prohibiting the importation of rags from this district.
There can be no doubt as to the danger of importation of disease of other
kinds than cholera by means of rags and old clothes, filthy as they always are,
and I would take this opportunity of calling attention once more to the
advisability of some general scheme for dealing with all imported rags, so as
to avoid the necessity for any special and intermittent arrangements, which
for obvious reasons must always prove ineffectual.
In the absence of such system, however, the only safe plan seems to be to
resort to a prohibitory order for a certain period, a plan which has been already
adopted by the Local Government Board.
The quantity of rags from these parts is not large, but the danger cannot
be considered as in proportion to the amount, inasmuch as one bale of infected
clothing is quite as likely to introduce disease as a large consignment.
The same disease has once again made its appearance in Spain.
Although it has shown itself only in one province, and no apparent route
of infection has been traced, it is quite possible, as suggested, that the disease
has in some manner been lying latent, and that the present outbreak is but a
recrudescence of the previous epidemic.
It is very difficult at any time to arrive at the truth of cholera returns of
Spain, but it would appear that the disease has been confined to a comparatively
small part of the province of Valencia, and that the number of cases has not
exceeded some 400.
At the same time, the mortality has been high, averaging about 60 per cent,
of those attacked.
D