The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-03

denic which devastated MarseiIes) the
plague has ragged continuously in Asia
and particularly in China, where it's
victims are yearly counted by the
thousands In March, 1894, there were
&C, 900 deaths from the plague in the city
of Canton alone. In 1896 the inhabi-
tants Of Hong Kong were the greatest
sufferers. But India is at the present
moment the most stricken spot upon
the earth. In Bombay deaths succeed
one another with frightful rapidity.
The pestilence is steadily moving on
ward from it's starting point in Yunnan,
and at present the Russian possessions
are threatened. More than one physi-
clan is asking himself: "How soon will
it reach Asia Minor, and from there
us?'
AS there is always man for an
emergency, so a Joseph sprung up in
the medical profession IN the person Of
a DR.. Yersin, young physician, who
claims to have discovered a remedy
which will prevent the plague from
spreading over Europe in a more viru-
lent form than smallpox or diphtheria.
DR.. Yersin, is attached to the colonial
board Of health, and is a young man
not much over thirty, who has already
made a splendid reputation for him
self This retiring, modest young man
is not only one of the greatest Swans
in the laboratory, but he is also a most
adventuresome and bold explorer. He
not only possesses the energy of long
and patient studies, but also the cour-
age of action.
He was born at Morges, in Switzer-
land, of French ancestors exiled into
that country by the Edict Of Nantes.
He distinguished himself while very
young by his extraordinary taste for
physical sciences. In 1885 he was a
medical student at the Hotel Dieu under
Prof. Cornill. At that time there were
a number Of Russian peasants under
treatment who had been bitten by a
mad wolf and who had been sent to
Paris by the Russian government to
be under the personal supervision Of
Pasteur. One Of the Peasants died
While making the autopsy DR.. Yersin
cut himself. He was sent to Pasteur
He was vaccinated and while at the
institute became very intimate with DIR.
ROuX, who recognized in him a man
Of great talent and he finally persuad-
ed him to join him in his labors. The
famous paper on the value of toxine
for diphtheria, and which marked the
first step in the discovery of vaccine
for Group, was signed by Roux and
Yersin. -i'~-
STARTS FOR THE EAST.
The young doctor, having been
naturalized in 1888, was appointed as
sistant in the laboratory Of microbe
technics. Not very long 'afterward, to
the establishment of his associates, he
applied for and obtained the position
Of physician to the Messageries Mari
times, and in this capacity sailed for
the far East, taking the first step on
the road which finally led up to his
wonderful discovery.
After having exhausted the wonders
of the world Of the infinitely small,
Yersin was attracted by the wonders
of the infinitely great. and being seized
with the exploring fever he set out
to climb the mountains of Northern
Cochin-China. These mountains are
said to be covered with impenetrable
forests, where the foot OF a white man
has never trodden, and inhabited by
ferociOus natives. He traversed these
forests and met with extraordinary ad-
ventures. This talented young ply
sician, who had glided like timid
shadow through the vast halls Of the
himself face to face with tigers, rhi-
noceroses and the wild beast infesting
the mountains, and learned to handle
his gun as skillfully as he had formerly
handled his knife and his microscope
He spent the greater part of his time
withe the Mois, and brought back
from his explorations in their coun-
try many unpublished documents of the
greatest interest.
But the disciple Of Pasteur was not
lost in the explorer. Yersin fully ap-
preciated the great advantage which
could be reaped by applying the teach
tngs Of Pasteur to this plague infested
country He was appointed physician
on the colonial staff, and while DR..
Calmette, another disciple of the mas
ter, had founded an institute in Cochin
China and discovered a vaccine for
the bite Of poisonous serpents, Yersin
set himself the task of discovering an
antidote for the bovinec plague and
the human pestilence which was de-
vastating the land. AS to the details
Of his great discovery, they are best
told In his own words.
1.-THE plague has been raging for
some time in the high plateaux of Yum
nan, and has appeared quite frequently
on the frontier near the French pos
sessions in Cochin China. In March,
1894, it appeared in Canton, and in a
few weeks there were over sixty
thousand deaths in the city. The COM
mercial interests existing between Can
ton and Hong Kong son sone side and
Hong Kong and Tonkin ION the other,
and the difficulty Of establishing an
efficient quarantine in these coun-
tries, have caused the French govern
ment to fear that Indo- China may be
stricken with this epidemic.
II received orders from the colon
ial minister to repair to Hong Kong
and study the nature Of this scourge,
the conditions under which it was pro-
pagated, and to find out the most
efticacOus measures for DISCRIMINATING
1t. 1 found upon my arrival that more
than three hundred Chinese had sue
cumbed to the dread disease, and that
provisionary barracks were being hast
lily constructed for the accommodation Of
sufferers, the native hospitals being
utterly inadequate to meet the extra
demand. I installed myself and my
laboratory in a bamboo cabin, which
had had built with the permission Of
the English government in the court
yard Of the principal hospital. The
disease presents all the clinical and
well-known symptoms of the bubonic
plague Of the Middle Ages.
CALLED THE BUBONIC PLAGUE
1.-THE epidemic which is now devas-
tating india" DR.. Yersin says, 'is
called 'bubonic' because it forms alb
scesses Of the glands, especially those
In the groin and under the arms. The