The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-26


country. might render TO humanity. lie
obtained an appointment as doctor II tho
Colonial service. While another disclnle
! OF Pasteur. DR.. Calmette, founded IN in
stitutc in Cochin China and discovered
n vaccine against the venom OF rerpeuts.
| Yersin devoted his energies TO tire bovine
pest and the human pest
But concerning this latter portion OF his
labors. IL IS best 10 cite what ne himself
wrote: and. indeed, nothing can be more
clear or more precise:
"The plague was raging for a long time
I'm the endemic state on the high plains OF
Yunnan. and from time TO time II ap-
peared near the frontier OF our lndo-China
possessions In March. fti. II reached
Canton. The great commercial movement
existing between Canton and Hong Kong
on the one hand and Hons Kong and
Tonquin on the ether. and the difficulty OF
establishing on the frontiers Of these coun-
tries a really eficacicus quarantine made
the French Government fear that lndO-
China might be invaded by tho epidemic.
81 received from the Colonial Ministry
an order to 20 10 Hong Kong TO study
the nature OF the plague. the conditions
I'm which it was Drcpagated. ana 10 seek
the most eficaciOus means OF hlndering
IL from reaching our possessions.
when / arrived in that town more
than 5000 Chinese had already succumbed
20 the plague. They commenced 20 build,
with great haste. temporary sheds, be-
cause the hospitals Of the country were
no longer sufficient 20 shelter the sick.
Il Installed myself with my material
in a straw hut which had made. under
the authority Of the English Government
and I'm the centre Of the principal hospi-
tai. The disease presented an the clinical
characteristics Of the old bubonic plcSue
OF the middle ages. Here is description
Ct 80:
Its beginning IS sudden, after an in
cubation of from four and half to six
days. attended by weakness and prostra-
ton. Then a fever breaks out often ac-
companied with dclirium. From The first
day a bubo appears.
In seventy-hve cases out oi a hundred
this bubo is in the groin. and ten times
in n hundred in the armpit. II rarely APP
pears on the back Of the neck or IN the
other regions.
"In a short time the ganglion becomes
as big as a hens egg. Death arrives in
forty-eight hours. and frequently sooner.
When life reaches beyond five or six days
the prcgnostic IS better: the bubo be-
comes soft. and It IS possible 10 operate
upon it for the removal Of the pus. In
some cases the bubO has not time TO torm'
Then all that can be observed Is the
hemcrrhage iIf the mucous membrane or
petechial marks. The mortality is eN-
IRENE. about % per cent. IN the hospitals.
Is anything more needed 20 explain the
legitimate human terror OF this plague.
And is there anything more needed 20
point 10 tho gratitude that Europe ard
Asia owe 10 Or Gersin. who las FOUND
4 method Cor ,aving the unfortunate who
ore stricken by this terrible malady?
In his first experiments the Doctor iso-
lated and studied the bacilii q the pest |
The pulp u the bubOs. ne says rs ir /
eyory case filled with short. stumpy bac.Ni /
with rounded ends. Sometimes The bacihs !
appear as II they were surrounded by q |
CAPSULE They are found IN great guam |
titles I'm all -he buhos and gdnglions OK |
the affected The blood sometimes con- /
tains them, but in q lessee degree. we /
rcyer find them IN she blood. except In !
rare cases. which are rapidly fatal
with these bacillL which arc more /
terrible for humanity than the most bloody |
conquerors Dr. Yersn made cultures /
which he used in experimenting upon |
rats and guinea pigs. Tho first series |
Of his experiments brought him 20 the |
following conclusions "My observations
which were very suggestive. permitted
me 10 suppose that the incubation Of
certain varietics. but little or not az all
virulcnt. with The specific bacilii would
confer immunity upon the animals from
The plague. and IN that line commenced
my experiments.
lie continued his nov experiments In
1925 I'm the rue Dutot. and altlrward at an
Isolated point on the coast % AMMAN NJ
Mia Tranc. where he set up a laboratory.
lie !noculatcd the animals az the lsbora-
tory and afterward the horses. IN this
way be obtained the serum for inocuiat-
ing man.
The pest roappcared In China IN the
FIRST months OF 1896. Dr. Yersin went
there Immediately with his TASKS Of see
rum. lie landed az Canton. but the Chi
rese population would have nothing 10
10 with the European doctor. What
would that population have done If they
knew how the christian had proceeded |
In Hong Kong? They would have ston-
81 him 20 death. I'm his autoosies the
Doctor risllod death. not only from con-
.agion. but also from fauaticism, because
the Chinese never permit the PROCLAMATION
)f Il dead body. Therefore it WAS with
the completely OF the grave digger or
of the wagon driver that DE was enabled I
10 procure both the pus and The blood.
and sometimes the bodies Of victims OF
the plague. In the night time he was
obliged TO proceed like robber or
body snatcher
Therefore at Canton it was impossible
for him 10 experiment with the new see
rum upon the numerous Chinese cases.
But three seminarists Of the mission
v ere attacked by the disease. Dr. lersin
cured them. Then he went 10 Annoy
There he inoculated twenty-throe pal
tents, out OF which be cured twenty-one.
After that everybody wanted 90 be doc
tored by him, and an his serum gave
out.
DR.. Yersin. after remaining three weeks
in France. has now started out for the
rxtreme East with resources that viii
enable him 10 have % great quantity OF
serum. II is to be hoped that at Bonn
bay. where the English Government re-
uuested him TO stop. Dee win he able TO
save the lives OF AN those who come un-
der his care. and that Doe viii have plenty
Of serum for his noble mission.-Ncw
\ ork Sun.