The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-04
CHOLERA IN CHINA
Tho Result Of Neglect Of the SAM
itary Regulations.
European Doctors Helpless to Enforce
Modern Methods of Prevention On
Account of Existing Super
stitioDs.


Canton and Hong Kong are interesting
as showing the attitude of the natives
toward foreign doctors and the diff
putty of enforcing the simplest sani-
tary regulations. From all accounts,
had the European doctors been per-
mitted at the outset to enforce house
toulouse inspection the death list
would never have risen above fifty a
day and the disease would have been
restricted to Hong Kong.
As it is, says a Shanghai letter in the
New York Sun, cases of the deadly
disease are appearing in all tho neigh
boring country places, and 1t is appar-
ent that victims of the plague may be
found at any time in Shanghai or other
ports that have close connection with
Hong Kong.
In regard to the origin of the disease
there is no question that the present
plague appeared in severe form in
Yunnan last winter. It has been known
there for several seasons. 1t was car
ried to Canton in March by traders
The disease is not a new one, as 1t has
appeared from time to time IN Persia
and Ara bia between 1853 and 1878. The
latter year was memorable because the
plague reached Europe. 1t broke out
then in Astrakhan, but the Russian
government suppressed it by prompt
measures
China has not been visited by great
plague for many years, but there is
good authority for the statement that
IN,
the fourteenth century broke out in
China.
The medical returns from Hong Kong
show that the present is the true
plague. All the symptoms are those
described by medical experts who have
seen the disease raging among Moslem
pilgrims to Mecca. 1t is an acute fever,
accompanied by evidences of blood poi
soning. The glands of the armpit and
the groin swell up, and assesses and
carbuncles frequently appear; there are
hemorrhages under the skin and from
Some Of the organs. The strength of
the patient oozes away, and in few
hours the disease Is often fatal
Why the disease excites so much ter
sor is because there have been few OPP
portunities for carefully studying it.
The Russian doctors who studied the
plague at Astrakhan came to the con-
rlusion that it was propagated by mi
probes.
One physician at Hong Kong attrib-
ntes its spread to a purely vegeta bic
poison which arises from the earth and
proves fatal first to the small domestic
animals which are nearest to the
ground. Whatever be the cause, 1t is
certain that the rat, which 80 frequent
ly burrows In the ground, was the first
victim OF the plague in both Canton
and Hong Kong. Thousands were
found dead before single human be-
Ing was attacked. Then cats and dogs
suffered, and finally men and women.
The story that the plague was spread
by the Chinese eating rats is lot very
plausible OF course, the eating of in
fected rats may have aided in the
spread of the disease, but the infection
was brought from Yunnan by caravans
of traders, and everything which the
victims had used became a source of
contsgion. The moist climate of the
seacoast also helps the spread OF the
disease.
In Hong Kong 1t was by mere mat
ter of accident that the European au-
thorities learned of the disease, as the
natives carefully concealed the spread
of the contagion. One Chinese min
lister is the sanitary board. Lau Wal
Chueu proved to be hard-headed. He
insisted upon having patients sent
from the great native hospital of Jung
Wah to the European Hygeia, and
then, after examination, to the hullls
in the harbor. This was done for a
few days. Then the feeling among the
Chinese became so bitter that the pro-
cedure had to DO abandoned. Native
members Of the sanitary board actually
stimulated this hostility to European
methods.
Placards were brought to Hong Kong
from Canton, which reveal the deadly
suspicion of all foreign means of treat
ment These placards warned all peo-
pie not to go to Hong Kong nor to per
nit their wives and children to go, be-
cause they would fall victims to the
foreign doctors, who were chopping up
all sick persons in order to make medi~
cine out of their eyes and bones No
amount of explanation has yet sufficed
to eradicate the deep-seated suspicion
that all foreign doctors are on a still
hunt for the eyes of dead Chinese.
The people cannot understand that
European medicine does not value GER
tain parts of body for medicine, be-
rause their own physicians, who are
mainly quacks, insist that by eating
pertain parts of the bodies of animals
pne may secure the best qualities of
those animals. They cling TO this be-
lief. and therefore such absurd stories
as those OF Christian missionaries kill
ing native children to secure their eyes
end ready credence.
No Boarders in the Pslsce.
One of the ladies of Hampton Court
palace recently undertook TO increase
her income by taking boarders. The