The morning call., 1894-08-03
PLAGUE BACILLUS.
A Discovery by Japanese
Professors.
Germs Found in the Blood of HUI
man Patients-The Chinese and
Their fiabits.


Japanese gentlemen, experts with regard rC
infectious diseases, have made a special study
of the local outbreak of Asiauc typhus. It was
a wise measure OF the Japanese Government TO
send these scientists here, Dut the results oil
their Investigations will concern and, we trust
eventually benefit this colony as much as
Japan. One of these gentlemen, Professor
KiTasato, after passing through the usual
course of medical studies at the Toxic UDiVer-
sity, and taking his MD. degree, spent seven
years, from 1885 to 1892, at DR.. Koch'S InSli-
lute in Berlin, where he devoted all his time to
the study of the bacteriOlogy of infectious dis
eases. After successfully passing the medical
protessOrate-eX XamIn nations in Berlin he re-
TUNED to Japan, ana esta bished there, uncOn-
nected with The Government, an institution
similar TO that OF DR.. Koch for The biological
Investigation of the infectious diseases Of
JaOaD.
The other gentleman, Professor Aoyama. is
a medical graduate OF the Toxic University,
where. after spend ng four yeaISs in Berlin In
the study OF pathology from 1888 10 1887, he
has since been lecturlug as professor OF medt-
cine. Both nave now for some time past
been taking every opportunity on board the
Hygela and IN the different hospitals studying
the disease in all its stages and making suuGry
experiments. Professor Aoyama pays special
attention 10 the mOrphology. and DR.. KitaSatO
TO the biology OF The disease. Tie results OF
their observations are now being embodied for
The information OF the Japanese Government
IL
elaboration. a local gentleman has been ia
yored, IN the course Of an interview, with
brief outline OF what probably be the leading
features of this interesting document.
The two specialists, it NOuld seem, agree in
Identifying the plague now raging in Hong
Kong with that buOonic plague which deyas-
IaIed Europe first IN the sixth century (when il
was imported from the LeVaDt), and ever since
has made its appearance here and there, being
historically best known ip connection with
The great plague which decimated London in
the fourteenth aud seventeenth centuries.
They have further identified It, TO Il limited ex-
tent, with the sporadic Outburst of plague
which occurred IN Astrachan from 1878 TO
1879, when small shining bacillus was found
In the blood OF human patients. But as biology
was then IN It's infancy, ana the instruments
now available were then hardly known, no
great importance can be attached to the de-
scriptlOn then given OF the SPECIFIC plague
bacillus.
Again, the two experts have identified the
HOng-Kong plague with that Dubonlc typhus
which Professor Hirsch of Berlin in his
Topography OF Diseases" states TO be endemic
in the Chinese province OF Yu3nan. Professor
HirSchs account Of the Yunnan plague, they
say. stands confirmed by observations made by
some medical missionaries at Meng-tZe, dis
trict City in Lin-an Flu (Ynnnau(, situated
under latitude % deg 81 min. and longitude
118 deg. miu., and more recently by DIR.
HOTder Of Pak-hoI, one OF the ports open 10
foreign trade, in the province of Kwang-tuDg.
near Lien.chou Flu. under latitude 21 deg. 39
min. and longitude 10S deg. 80 min. From the
pathological description which The two gentle
men gave or typical case OF plague, as OBJ
served in Hong-KOng, 1t would seem that the
period OF incubation generally lasts from TWO 10
seven days, followed by prostraton and high
fever, starting from 40 deg. Celsius and con-
cluding with delirium ana coma. But pro-
Tracted cases are generally accompanied by the
development OF bubos, bOis or petechi8, con-
Yaleseence setting in about the sixth day.
AS regards the biology of the disease Pro-
fessor kitasato considers himself TO have been
fortunate enough 10 have discovered the specific
bacillus OF The local form OF plague, and his
cOnfrere, Professor Aoyama, agrees with him
in describing this specific plague bacillus as he
Ing what is called in German "sIabchen" bac-
lerlon, having the form OF very slender straight
nlaments OF short length. This bacillus, found
IN The blood OF plague patients from the second
day or the outbreak OF the disease, and devaS-
tating the principal internal organs, has been
lndlSputably Identified as the real agent OF the
mischief by DIR. kiiasato. His colleague, Pro-
lessor AOyama, agrees with MIN In stating that,
unless the bacillus discovered at Astrakhan
but imperfectly described was the same spe-
cies, no such bacillus has hitherto been found
in human blood.
The only kindss of known bacilIi which to a
limited extent may be compared with this
plague -baclill are TWO classes of bacteria hth-
eric found IN animals only. VIZ, the 'MiIZ-
brand bacterl0n bacillus anthracis) which
morphologicay resembles The plague bacillus
about as much as the 'Huhner-choera' bac-
ieriOn 0ound in poultry diseases) resembles 1t
biologically. Experiments mace by DR.. Kita-
SatO breeding and multiplying the specific
plague bacilli discovered in Hong Kong, and IN
inoculating different animals with the prep
aration OF the virus thus obtained, have
Invariably produced within TWO DAYS the
death of these animals under symptoms
conclusively exhibiting the symptoms
vomiting diarIhea, and bubOes were alb
sent owing TO the rapid development of The
disease. or course Dr.. KitasaIo, being satisfied
that In the case OF a plague patient there is no
other alternative but either me DaciIli or the
patient must die, is on the Lookout Tor bacteria
cides, inimicaI to this specific plague bacillus,
and Professor Aoyama is otherwise lnvestlgat-
Ing the peculiar baclerto-therapeutics OF
plague, but 1t Is 100 early yet TO expect any
definite conclusions iu these respects. There is
some hope, however. that the inquiries now
pursued by these specialists may contribute
toward the eventual discovery of a cure for
this terrible scourge, which at present seams 10
defy the best medical treatment.
IL Is the firm conviction OF both professors
that nothing definite can be said yet with re-
gard to how this plague-bacillnS which so ruin
ously attacks the principal internal organs OF
the patient gets into The human system. They
consider II probable that 1t IS drawn from the
air by breathing. but they are decidedly of
opinion that the peculiar habits of the Ch Dese
and the general filthy conditions OF the dwell
ings OF the lower classes In China and Hong
Kong form specially favorable breeding
ground for this particular bacillus. Looking TO
The peculiar HABITS of The Chinese people, md
10 tile fact that this terrible plague is endemic
in Yunnan, they do not see that there is much
ground for the sanguine hope that
the plague will ever be permanently
out 10 South China. On the con-
trary, they fear that it is much more
likely tnat the plague. which has evidently
ravaged China since time immemorial without
bring scientifically noticed, will continue alter
nately to langulsh and revive now, since it has
once established breeding grounds in so many
places which commercially intercommunlcate
with each other.
The investigations of these scientists are by
no means concluded yet, and the two professors
may therefore spend some time In Hong Kong.
Their final official report, whenever IL may be
ready, will no doubt prove OF great value not
only TO the japanese but also to the Hong
Kong Government; aud the University OF Bei-
lin may be congratulated upon having fur
nished Hong Kong, and we may say the scien.
tifc world, with such able, painstakinR and
scientifically cautious observers as Professor
Kitasato and Professor Aoyama. We must add
that the foregoing account has not been cor.
rected by the two scientists, and as it is merely
a summary OF what a non- professional but
deeply interested lis ener gathered from des-
ultory haIf-hour's conversation. we warn our
scientific readers 20 take the above for what IL
may be wortn.-OTerland China Mail.