The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-26
From tho New York journal.
No NEED The hubonic plas
10 'EAH which is now raw
TUE PLAGUE. inc po,nhav and ,


"" NEED The bubonic plague,
10 FEAR which is now ravag-
TUE PLAGUE. ing Bombay and 9th
or parts of India. is the same disease which
was epidemic in London In 1866 The
frightful loss of life It caused, together with
tho classic account Of it written by Daniel
pefoe. has made 1t historic as the Great
Plague Of London"
The number of reported deaths for one
week Of September, 1866. in the city OF Lon
don was 10000 This was its last visit to
England. but France and Russia have both
suffered from this scourge from time to
time since the above date. but to nothing
IKE the extent Of England in the Seven
leenth century. The habitat OF this dis
ease. like that of cholera, Is Asia and it
Is probable that there Is never a time when
cases Of il can not be found among the
hlihv hordes who inhabit this part OF the
globe.
Certain of the lower animals, especially
rats, are subject to the disease, and when it
prevails in a city large numbers OF these
rodents die from 1t. The first symptom
Of the disease is a severe. sudden aud pro-
lougcd chill. followed by high fever. AL
most Immediately the glands In the neck
groin and under the arms and in other
parts Of the body begin to swell and in
flame, and IL the person lives for a few
days they suppurate and discharge pus.
The death rate is very high. Ninety to
ninety five persons out Of every hundred
attacked die within twentyfour to forty
eight hours from the onset of the disease
According to Defoe and others who de-
scrihed the London plague the course Of
The disease was even shorter. They tell
of persons walking the streets apparently
well who would he suddenly seized BY the
plague, fall In their tracks and die within a
few minutes. before they could be carried
20 their homes. Like other communicable
diseases. the plague is caused by specific
poison in the form Of living micro organ
ism or germ.
There is perhaps no disease which de-
pends so much for it's spread on unsanitary
conditions as the bubonic plague. Filthy
streets and overcrowding in badly vcntilat-
cd dwellings. together with poor nourish-
ment and neglect OF personal cleanliness.
are conditions necessary for an epidemic Of
this scuurse. This is amply proved by the
fact that Europeans and such natives as are
pronerly nourished and live in clean, we'll
ventilated houses and are correct in their
personal habits arc rarely attacked by the
disease, even though they live in city
where the plague is epidemic.
Ii Is said that every calamity brings
with " blessing OF some kind. This is
true Of the great London plague for II
reused the people to appreciate the neces-
sliy Of greater cleanliness, and the lawn of
proper municipal and house sanitation and
drainage dates from the years Immediately
following the London plague.
Little can be accomplished by treatment
once the disease Is established Or. YER
sin, French physician. claims to have dis
covered cure. and he Ia at present on his
waF 10 Bombay to make practical tost
OF his method His treatment consists NJ
Nvnodermic injections of n serum Mhieh he
obtains by injecting, nrst rats with the
buhonic poison and then horses frot, the
rats, the serum from the horses blood
being the specific for the disease In man
Ills method is largely in the experimental
stage and holds out little hope Of relief ot
present. at
No one need have the slightest fear NJ
the plague becoming epidemic in lew vor,,
or In any other city where the laws OF mod
ern sanitation are enforced n fow Iso.
lated cases should appear In this civ tho
injection would be promptly stamped out
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"H Tho commissioner of
PRESIDENTS pensions, Mr. Murphy
PENSION in responding few
f"I''A' days ago to a greeting
from delgation OF old soldiers, read tho
instructions given him by President Cleye
land. which had never been published. The
president said:
Mr. Murphy, think you know my IDEAS
Of tho pension bureau and the pension svs-
tom. They are these: In claims coming Tin
for the action OF the bureau where you nnd