The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-11-17
CHOLERA IN CHINA.
The Result OF Neglect of the San
itary Regulations.

1tary Regulations.
European Doctors Helpless to Enforce
Modern Methods of Prevention
Account OF Existing Super
stltions.
Many details of the great plague in
Canton and Hong Kong are interesting
as showing the attitude of the natives
toward foreign doctors and the diff
Guilty of enforcing the simplest sani-
tary regulations. From all accounts,
had the European doctors been per-
mitted at the outset to enforce house
to-house 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 Shanghai letter in the
New York Sun, cases of the deadly
disease are appearing in all the neigh
boring country places, and it 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. 1t has been known
there for several seasons. 1t was car
ried to Canton in March by traders.
The disease is not new one, as it has
appeared from time to time In Persia
and Arabia between 1853 and 1873. The
latter year was memorable because the
plague reached Europe. 1t broke ont
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
the plague which ravaged Europe 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 a few
hours the disease is often fatal.
| Why the disease excites SO much ter
cor is because there have been few op-
portunities for carefully studying it.
The Russian doctors who studied the
plague at Astrakhan came to the con-
clusion that it was propagated by mi
crobes.
One physician at Hong Kong attrib-
utes its spread to purely vegetable
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, it is
certain that the rat, which so 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 not 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
contagion. The moist climate of the
seacoast also helps the spread of ths
disease.
In Hong Kong it was by mere mat
ter of accident that the European au
thorities learned of the disease, as th'
natives carefully concealed the spread
of the contagion. One Chinese min
lister is the sanitary board. Lau Wa
Chueu proved to be hard-headed. II
insisted upon having patients sen
from the great native hospital of Juni
Wah to the European Hygeia, an
then, after examination, to the hulk
in the harbor. This was done for
few days. Then the feeling among tn
Chinese became so bitter that the pre-
eedure had to be abandoned. Nativ
members of the sanitary board actuall
stimulated this hostility to 'Europea
methods.
Placards were brought to Hong Kon
from Canton, which reveal the deadl
suspicion of all foreign means of treat
ment. These plaeards warned all pee
Pile not to go to Hong Kong nor to pei
nit their wives and children to go, be
cause they would fall victims to tn
: foreign doctors, who were chopping u
all sick persons in order to make med
cine out of their eyes and bones. n
amount of explanation has yet suffice
to eradicate the deep-seated suspicio
e