To the Editor of the Dany New Sin, our papers to hand by the last contain some edifying and in-true-letters on the above subject, and if sou will permit me, though perhaps tather late, to join in' the controversy, I vould like to add my quota to the discussion before the cold weather quite re-agates interest in all such matters to the next hot season. The main point emt phasised by most. of your correspondents xerus to be that the ice-chest is principally in fault, through using native ice for the outbreaks of cholera on board ship; and also the statement is made that inferior and even bad meat is supplied to vessels with, it is hinted, the Approval of the masters. Every one knows that the natural article is mot so clean as the manufactured product, but even allowing its discoloured aspect, irt does not by any means of necessity {contain cholera germs, and surely it won be an easy matter to settle the question, j to get the Public Health Officer to analyse samples of the native stuff and state whether the bacilli of cholera were found in any of them; if so, the sale should he immediately prohibited, and after such authoritative opinion it would undoubtedly be the height of folly to use such a thing.
Im regard to bad meat, there are no cholera germs as a rule in this, even if such food is ever supplied to the shipping, which I beg leave to doubt. Numer-cases have occurred of explorers and shipwrecked persons living for a number of days on decomposed flesh without any ill effects arising, much less being attacked by cholera, and to this day there are whole tribes of people who pre-for and as a rule live on putrid matter of fish and beast, yet I have not heard Asiatic cholera or even cholera mor bus decimates them. I can hardly credit your correspondent's statement that unwholesome food is served on board any vessel, but I hope that the above remark will be some little comfort to him j should it happen again. I do not by any means advocate the uso of native ice, but in many ports it is the only kind procurable, and I am not aware these places suffer more from cholera than does Shanghai with its manufactured product.
is a strange thing that 1902 and 1903, the first years in which coasting steamers took to using artificial iee, should be seasons of such sickness and death from stomachic trouble is quite possible that cholera has driven in North China from the thousands of slaughtered dead who festered on the plains around Tier in, and been introduced into Shanghai the constant traffic between these ports; after once making its appearance bit of ferlilising the fields would surely account for its spread. germs once distributed fly in the air and are swallowed silke by the perfectly healthy and the indisposed or overtaxed system, To the former the poison is inastthe person whose him through all ineleof weather and violent changes of temperature does not escape so easily in addition should there be a grossly fed or overloaded stomach for the' bacilli work on the rest fat nearly so.
Tt is hardly necessary to state th officers and engineers of steamers carry their work out meet the a conditions, and Lam fain to confess it is my opinion there is a great deal of over-cating on p-board, induced probably by the healthy life mostly in the appetite-giving sea air and also—though some of your correspondents would certainly not agree—by the variety and excellence of the food supplied. 1 venture to express the opinion this in some measure account for the unusi ping community of Shanghai.
not he forgotten too, that the duties of mates and masters going their rounds carry th ight into the very contre of probable infection. Where is cholera more likely to be picked up than among a crowd of Chinese in a ship's between decks, all or nearly all gorging themselves with melons and other unripe or perhaps rotten fruit? Personally 1 have seen many occasions on a sea-going vessel when an oil lamp would only burn with the faintest glimu: er and illuminate but a few feet around. I had alwa thought that vegetables and fruit were mitch to blame as bad water—native ice of course is the last—for communicating cholera.
The firm I have the honour to serve are only too willing to listen to all complaints and remedy them at once.
printed circular is issued by the office to this effect, and in every case of which I have heard of a report being sent in the most complete investigation has invariably followed, and justice, not only full measure, but running over, given. It is beyond comprehension that the master of a vessel who has precisely the same food as all on board, and whose life must be as valuable to himself, and per-hap wife and children, as any other man's is, could allow tainted meat to be continually served, and if there 1 dirt in the galleys' and pantries it can be only of the slightest and what is unavoidable. One of your correspondents recommends 2 wooden grating to be placed between the native ico and the meat in the chest, but wood absorbs such a lot of moisture that in a very little time this protection is in a worse condition as regards germs than the ice itself. A better plan is to have a double thickness of stout india-rubber mats, and water-proof coverings might also be provided for placing over the provisions. At present wood undg:,,."€% and flannel or bags on top is the genom, method, but these have to be very frequently disinfected to be kept in anything of a cleanly and sanitary conditions, and it is doubtful if they ever are quite satisfactory in this respect. India~ rubber is of course expensive, but with care lasts a long time, and, I fancy, is the most desirable' material which can be in a case like this. shout li be available in cleaning the ice-A plentiful supply of Condy's Fluid
chest, mats, coverings, ete., whenever sible, and also for washing vegetables utcurils used in the galley; in fact it is an article that can hardly be employed too much. Everything on board ship is ruled by lack of space and the position of some ice-chests is not all that could be desired, but it is impossible always to remedy' this and in such cases special care shoul1:*¢'oxereised en having an efficient covering over the meat 1 side the chest.
Thave not found that with a little extra prevision it is a hard matter to keep boys clean; the main dit small space things avo to be stowed in and cooking and arrangements carried out on ship-bout The dimensions of the deck area for standing in, of the pantry and galley of this ship for instance are, in the for er 2 feet by L foot G inches—that is to say there is just room for a man to move is elbows when working there—and in feet by 3 foot.
The dressing of the food has to be ied out on the open deck, excepting when the sea ix too rough and the cook in danger of being washed overboard, in is done on the pantry shelf, low it is done only a sea cook could During the preparation of the food.
may be going on and the bunker opposite the galley sure to be cargo with any number of possibly—in some trades here may be two or three hun-Lor more Chinese passengers and the these latter take in a galley 1s all the drawbacks to which the cook is subjected T have never known 2 single case in the last four years, or since Thave been in this vessel, of a dish being short at meals or the food not brought forward at the regular hour.
The total mess allowance for sis europeans is $240 and there are three boys, a cook, and a steward found in most instances, whore wages amount $56; washing is paid $10 and just covers the necessary items. -\s can be guessed with
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.