The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-10
THE BLACK DEATH m CHINA.
Fears That re Vrl sweep Over Eastern
Asia Before nc DaHappears.

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Asia Before nc Diaappears.
BLACK death,,'' that mysterious dis
ease which has been creating such havoc
among the natives at Canton, seems
destined to sweep over eastern Asia.
Hong-Kong has been attacked by this
insidious and fatal enemy, and already
hundreds have succumbed col ik The
colony Is almost shut or from commune
catien, save by telegraph, with other
Asiatic ports, and $500 veort Is being
made to check the sa1a@k the plague.
Strict quarantine ree~k.als have been
made, and outgoing steamers on oriental
lines carry neither freight mon passan-
gers.
But the germs of the disease seem TO
be in the air, for latest news is that
deaths by the plague have already oc-
CURED In Japan. The natives are panic
stricken. =
The plague made its appearance In
Hong-Kong about May 10, when many
dead rats were found in the streets.
This IL the FIRST sign the disease makes.
Usually other animals arestricken before
human beings are affected The spread
Of the disease was most rapid In O few
days the victims claimed numbered
nearly 30 daily. 1t was even more fatal
there than in Canton, fully 90 per cent
OF those seized dying In about 40 hours.
One cause that led 20 this result was
that there had been no rainfall for b
long period, and all streams and sources
az drainage were foul. Vigorous steps
wexe@taken to secure artificial flushing
OF all drains, and q thorough cleansing
Of the entire city was had, but there
was no decrease until about the Goth,
when several heavy rain storms oc
CURED.
Health officers made a house to house
canvass Of the district Of the city where
the disease seemed to center, and all
sick persons were removed to the Hygeia,
the hospital ship in the harbor. The
dead were taken in charge by the same
officials and buried at once in a place
especially selected
When the disease was at its worst.
the deaths In the hospitals numbered
about 80 daily. In some cases whole
families were exterminated In q few
days. Europeans seem to be almost
proof against the disease, although in
some cases their surroundings were the
same as those Of the Chinese. An excep-
tion to this 10 the death of several Por-
tuguese in Hong-Kong.
The a of the strange malady Is a
mystery, but il is undoubtedly q filth
disease. A physician who had large ~
perience with the black plague In PAX
hoi some years ago said in IN interview
that il was due 10 foul smellR The
plaques symptoms, rs Subscribed already,
are as follows: With or without pre-
monitory warning in the shape of chill
there Il q sudden fever rising 10 100 de-
grees or over. There IL much headache
and cerebral disturbance, accompanied
by stupor. In from 10 TO "a hours D CLAN
dular swelling occurs In the neck, arm
pit or groin, rapidly enlarging To the
size of fowls egg. IL Ii hard and ex-
ceedingly tender. With or without a
decline Of the fever the patient sinks
deeper into q condition Of coma and
dies usually at the end Of AS hours or
sooner. He declared that animals were
affected first, because the germs were
near the ground.
Native reports from Canton say that
the epidemic is somewhat decreasing
there, but many new cases are still TO-
ported. 1t is said that fish are also
stricken, and fishermen In some dis
tricts have been forced to cease opera
lions. -San Francisco Chronicle.