Evening star., 1897-01-22
THE BUBoNic PLAGUE
Surgeon General Wyman Talks About Its
History and Its Character.
Was First known Before Christ-A
No Cause for Alarm Here.

not aroused the apprehension Of the au-
thorities havirg in charge the health of
this country. The plague Is reported to
have been taken to Hamburg in a ship
from the east, and there have been idle
rumors Of recent case in New York which
had all the similarities Of the most fear
full disease known to medical science.
A Star reporter today talked with Sur
geon General Wyman of the marine hos
pital service on the subject Of the disease.
its history and peculiarities and the danger
Of its reaching this country. DR.. Wyman
said that there is mentioned in the four
teenth chapter and eighteenth verse of
Zachariah Of q plague with which the
heather who did not keep the feast of the
tabernacle were threatened. Coming down
to somewhat later history. he said:
History Of the Disease.
There is a record of a plague supposed
to be Of the same character as the present
one before the time Of Christ. The best
known cf the disease in Europe was in the
fourteenth century and I'm the seventeenth
century. 1t was particularly virulent in
the fourteenth century. and in the seven
teenth century, in 1864 and 1866, it was
prevalent in London and various parts of
England. The last visitation to England
was in 1865, when the mortality was very
great. The celebrated plague OF London
commenced in 1865, but there has been TO
appearance of 1t there since that time. 1t
has been confined to the east during the
last century, chiefly in India and China"
What is the disease?" DR.. Wyman was
asked.
1T is a germ disease" he replied. Its
true nature was never known until 1894,
when the bacilis was discovered by a Jap
anese scientist, DIR. Kitasato. In 1894 it was
imported into Canton from northern lndil,
and from Canton was conveyed to Hong
Kong. A steamer voyage from Canton TO
Hong Kong is but eight hours. but during
the height of the epidemic 1t was the daily
occurrence of people to die en- route be-
tween the two cities. No absolutely re-
liable estimate can be made of the NOR
tality in China at that time, as it was very
great, but the United States consul at Can
ton reported under date of July 10. 1894,
that between that time and March of the
same year the total number of deaths was
estimated at between $1,000 and 100000,
and that not over 5 per cent of those ct
tackled recovered. 1t should be remem-
bered, however, that the sanitary condi-
tions in Canton were extremely bad
How 1t IL Brought About.
Speaking CT the manner in which the dis
ease Is brought about, DR.. Wyman said:
1T is filth disease, and while it is ex
tremely virulent the germ is readily killed
by dfsinfection. The same methods adopted
for preventing the spread of cholera are
applica BILE to the plague. although the dis
eases are quite different in their nature.
Cholera is a disease which must get Into
the alimentary track; in other words must
be swallowed, while the plague may infect
the body through abrasiunS OF contact with
any mucuS membrane. 1t begins with a
high fever and with the carly appearance
of the enlargement of the glands of the
groin. the axIlar and the neck. Carbunclcs
soon appear on various portions OF the
hOdv essentially of hlopt
poisoning
rs there any apprehension as to its APP
pearance in this country"
No Cause for Special Alarm.
THE fact that the disease has appeared on
the vessel held In quarantine in Hamburg
is no reason to excite special alarm, be-
cause QuaraE tine is where the vessel ought
to be and shows that the authorities there
are able to detect the disease and take
proper precautions. l have no official infor-
nation, however, that the disease is in
Hamburg. The conditions for the spread
OF the plague in Europe or America are
rot what they were in olden times. Quar-.
antine and other sanitary measures neces
S&ry to prevent the spread OF any Epidemic
are now based on scientific principles and
absolute knowledge, ald are gen. raj
throughout the civilized world. In the mat
ter of disinfection remarkable advances
have been made within the past ten years.
For example, ten years ago there was rot
single steam disinlec ting chamber on
the coast of the United States. Now the
marine hospital service of the gov arnment
has at least ten, steam disinfecting cham
bers at the several national quar- lntine sta
ticns distributed along the coast and many
LEGAL quarantines are likewise provided
Ihe regulations are SO framed and enforced
that any vessel arriving at any port re-
curing diSinfection will have to go to a
port provided with disinfectins apparatus
All vessels coming into the United States
from foreign port must have a United
states consular bill of health, and in Sign
ing that bill the consul is obliged 20 certify
tnat all the measures required 10 prevent
the vessel becoming carrier of con.asiou
rave been taken. If, Notwithstanding this
precaution. vessel infected should arrive
at port in this country, Under The ouaran-
tine law and regulations, which are care
IuIiy enforced, no apprehension should be
ieit Tor the disease would surely be de-
= -tected and the vessel and its passengers
ana cargo would be carefully taken care
OF. Moreover, while the sanitary condi-
ton OF some places in this country are rot
an that they should be, II should be said
that the intelligence and natural cleanIi-
ness OF the American people would prevent
such condltiohs as would bring about such
beginning and rapid advance of the dis
ease as In eastern countries"