The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-20
RaVages of Plague and
Famine.

LONDON, Jan. l6.-The eyes OF the
Eurorean world are turned this week
toward India, each days intelligence
from that stricken land making it
more apparent that the greatest
tragedy in modern history is being
enacted there under the double
curse Of famine and plague The
heart Of Europe has been touched at
last and the universal sympathy is
perhaps more keen because it is now
tinged with apprehension. 1t would
not be surprising if within month
genuine plague panic, should spread
through christendom. The great
powers show alarm and the news
comes to.Gay that Italy has summon.
ed an international conference to
meet forthwith at Rome to consider
measures for dealing with the dam
ger. There is little doubt that the
response of the otter governments
will be favorable and all the resources
of modern science will be speedily
arrayed against the hideous foe.
Reliable information about the ex-
tent of the plague in Bombay and
vicinity is lacking, and regarding the
mortality, it is only said in general
terms that more than half of those
attacked succumb. The news SER
vice of the London press is strangely
inadequate, and it IS from private
sources that most of the information
comes. The point which most inter-
ests Europeans is whether the awful
disease is likely to flourish in north
ern latitudes if infection should be
introduced here. but no evidence is
forthcoming yet. 1t is argued by
medical men, however, that if the
plague was dangerous in Hong
Kong. it will find an equally prolific
field in London and Paris so far as
the climate is concerned 1t is gen.
orally admitted that the plague is
filth disease, but there are certain Pc
culiarities connected with it's spread
Dr. Hankin, a well known bacterio!o.
gist, who is investigating in Bombay,
fastens the responsibility for carrying
the infection upon rats, ants and
other insects. Rats in houses have
the plague they die and are eaten
by ants which carry the germs into
the crevices of the buildings, to
water taps and sinks Thus the
poison is diffused and cannot be
eradicated except by fire. This ex-
plains the efficacy of the old methods
of cleansing by conhagrstion, and at
the same time the futility Of isolatipg
the sick as in other infectious dis.
eases The only thing to do is to re-
move the healthy
1t is stated in the Daily Mails dis
patches, which are the only ones
worth reading in the London papers,
that large busines houses in Bombay
which are infected by rats have been
rendered untenable by the ravages of
the plague among the vermin They
died by the hundreds in the walls
and the human occupants have been
compelled to vacate the buildings.
1t is observed that any larger animals
are subject to the Infection.
The French, Austrian and Italian
governments have already taken
stringent precautions against the im
portation CT the plague, but it can
hardly be possible to escape a series
Of alarms from this cause during the
next few weeks
The ravages of the famine in the
interior of India are still still far
more Deadly than the horrible
plaugue at Bombay The victims of
the plague are perishing by hundreds
daily, but the victims of hunger
succumb by thousands daily. 1t
would be easy to harrow the hearts
Of every one possessing human sym
pathy by accounts of the typical
sights experienced in the vast
famine district, but surely appetite
for horror in all its forms has been
satiated throughout christendom dur
ing the past few months. 1t is suffi.
cient to say that the gaunt, starving
millions Of India are perishing at
more rapid rate than an army ever
suffered before the most deadly en-
gnes of destruction devised by man.