The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-17
THE BUB0NIC PLAGUE.
SOMETHING fBOUT THE TERRIBLE
IPrDEMIC ~ INDIA.
WHY the Disease l. 50 Calied-Iis Charac-
feristics. Its origin and the Means
of Preventing 1t,

without entering into the discussion as
,o whether or not all epidemics styled
",i,pier in Biblical and medieval lit
erature were OF the nature Of the bu-
homie plague OF recent times. there can
be no doubt that since 1850 the name
"plaeue" has been applied to a definite
,r.i, ~ symptoms which are considered
b.. .o...+iffite a. specific disease. During
fi.f.r.nf outbreaks some one symptom
atrairs "a fatal pre-cmincnce, but not TO
t.,. exclusion OF others, which might at
ar.v fifne assume the death head and
serve ga Iautizo the disease as "bubOnic,
..hommorrhagic." "typno.lal," pneu-
mOmc,f and SO forth.
The name plague" however. is not
one which helps us TO place the complaint
H. rs proper scientific niche bon the cate
CORY OF disease. Tho word conveys the
il.a OF au unusual disease, attacking
many persons. and attended by a high
mortality. but that gives 10 no scientific
value any more than the wan ylk OF
the Chinese Were l TO attempt 20 clas-
shy plague I would place 10 among the
specific fovcrs and partlcuarize il under
the name of "pOyadenitls. and individ-
uallze 70 still further as malignant poly
adcnifis." 10 may be objected to thNt
aoenlts ~ not always present. that
many plaguc-strickcn patients die be-
fore the glands are even swollen, and
that therefore. the name is defective.
but DO is needless 20 point ont that in
many diseases tine most typical symptoms
AFRO at times absent, and yet the cases
con Doe classed with their kind To JUS
tfy the prefix poly TO the word "aden-
lrs' DO is necessary 10 remember that
.I| Do "a
cally apparent. most II not an. OF the
lymphItic glands are found 10 be en-
larecd 40 the pOst-mOrtem examinations.
Ihe most heeDut report IL regard to tins
subject is interesting "Thirty-three
cases 90 per cent? were received with
out proper bubo. In most OF these
cases alenifis was found, the general size
OF .hc glands being that of IL lcnti In
tAe latter stages Of tho disease other
hunos formed in different localities and
complicated the case, 80 per cent. of the
cases showed swelling of tho intestinal.
bronchial and mediastinal glands IN dill
Ieient stages"
inc term "bubonic' so frequently aD-
pied to The disease is not SD aDpropriafe
"7 would 40 first sight appear. A blbo
Us essentially the swelling OF "a Gland
caused by the entrance of septic materials
ODD The tract OF lymphatios over which
inc gland pros.des. This cannot Dee said
10 OBTAIN iu plague for tho s0-callcd bubo
Oh liaaue can in no sense Doe regarded as
sympathetic swelling. b.l merely the
outcome of "a blood poison IL IL Is TO
Doe classei a. bubO at AN So must Doe dis
linelly understood 10 De an idopathic"
huDo. true "huhon d'cmbiec." one
never speaks Of tle bubOcs of tertiary
stpm.Ns or of srrofuiOus bubOes. The
terms may te clnlcally correct. but they
are NOT ln common usc. they have how
ever us ma. right 10 be called bubonic
ass the elandular cnllrgcmonts in plague.
WITH these considerations before u.s.
would venture 10 name tho disease ma
Nrhant polynlentis.' in - hope that at-
IthO'n mag ue drawn 10 the naming OF
mo disease ty more competent students
than myself
iiaele or malignant po'yadonitis wo
may define 1s au acute fcbrlle disease Of
am intensely fatal nature characterized
Dog inflammation Of the Emphatic glands.
marked cerebral and vascular disturb
aheos, and by the presence of q specific
bacillus
Tho cause OF plague IS tho advent OF q
definite bacillus. and it 4. the life his.
tory of this bacillus which must IN future
occupy the attention OF bactcriOiOeists
ana clinical observers. The proximity Of
ine bacillus is 40 the pr cot day known
Only 0f Dos effect 0u human beings and.
lI may ne. on rats as wc'f. What fosters
it appears to Doe bad -aultati0u. once o.-
iahiisAoi time alone VIII stay its rlvares
Foo iHr as amy given epidemic o. concerned
Ilt there seems every hope that improved
sanitation wll check JOS occurrences.
The lH1iromnta of plague may De dl-
Id'l m.o the remote and The immediate.