No. 305.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.
United
States Legation,
Tokei,
Japan, August 18, 1879. (Received
September 39.)
No. 942.]
Sir: In accounting for the reappearance of Asiatic
cholera this summer in Japan, Dr. Doenitz, a learned physician, for six
years a resident of this city, at a recent meeting of the board of health
for this, city, said that the present epidemic can be traced to that of
1877; that some months since the graves of soldiers who died of the cholera
in 1877, in the province of Kiusiu, and whose bodies were buried in Oitaken,
were opened by the government, it is supposed, for religious purposes, and
also to bury the bodies more decently, and that instantly from the graves
thus opened the disease developed and spread slowly into Kiusiu, and some
time after reached Kobe, whence it was brought by the Hiroshima Maru (a
Japanese vessel) to Yokohama and Tokei.
I inclose the report of Dr. Doenitz’s statement as published in the Tokei
Times of the 2d instant. Dr. Doenitz made substantially the same statement
to me.
If this statement be true as to the origin of this disease this year, it
seems to me to be worth while to publish it, that other people as well as
the Japanese may profit by their experience in this matter.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 942.—Extract from the
Tokio Times, August 2, 1879.]
At the last meeting of the Tsukiji board of health that Professor Donitz
attended previous to his departure for the south, he took occasion to
submit some interesting and remarkable suggestions respecting the
present ravages of cholera. He once more forcibly maintained that the
epidemic is infectious, and that it is absolutely and
[Page 681]
positively “Asiatic cholera,” and no other
disease. Certain probable causes of sickness in and about Tokei, and the
remedies therefor, were propounded, and a novel theory of the origin of
this immediate visitation was put forward, as follows:
“The epidemic can be traced back to and shown clearly to be connected
with that of 1877. The history of it is this: Some months ago the graves
of soldiers who died of cholera in 1877, and were buried in Oita Ken,
were opened by the government partly, it is said, for certain religious
purposes, and partly to bury more decently those who had been hastily
interred during the war. The present disease began instantly from that
point, spread slowly in Kiu Siu, and after some time reachead Kobe,
whence it was brought to Yokohama and Tokei by the Hiroshima Maru.
With regard to the views of certain physicians who are opposed to the
belief in Asiatic cholera, Professor Donitz adduced numerous facts and
arguments in confutation, and declared his readiness to produce
irrefutable proof at any time, if such were needed, after the obvious
manifestations of the past week or two.
