The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-23
Outbreak Of Bubonic Plague at Aus
trian Capital.
PHYSICIANS IN A PANIC
EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS
TO PREVENT EPIDEMIC.
No One Is Permitted to Approach the
Patients-Five New Gases Report
ed and Many More Were Exposed
to the Disease-Plague LIKELY to
Spread.

London, Oct 22.-The outbreak of bu-
bonic plague at Vienna, due to the ex-
periments in Professor Nathnagel's s
archaeological establishment in the
cultivation of the plague bacillus, has
spread terror at the Austrian capital.
Five cases, in addition to that of the
late Herr Barsch, the assistant in the
establishment, who contracted the bu-
bonic plague while cultivating the
bacillus have now occurred. They are
two nurses in the laboratory, another
Of the assistants, Herr Barsch'S wife,
and DR.. Mueller, the physician who at
tended Herr Barsch. The last sacra-
ments Of the Roman Catholic church
We're administered to the latter, and
to one of the nurses by a priest through
a window of the plague cells.
DIR. Mueller vas considered an au-
thority on the plague, having been to
Bombay for the purpose Of studying 1t
on the spot, and he survived all the
dangers there. The disease at Vienna
has assumed a pneumpnic form. There
are no boils, but each case is accom-
panied by high fever and blood splitting.
Extraordinary precautions have now
been taken to prevent an epidemic. The
plague patients lie in an isolated build
ing, attended by DR.. POoch, voiun-
teer physician, and by Sisters of Char
ity. They are surrounded by a rope,
across which nobody is allowed to pass.
DR.. Pooch writes the prescriptions and
fastens them TO the window pane. The
doctors outside read them and have
them made up. Then the prescriptions
are placed on the window ledge, from
whence they are removed by those in
side. Food is conveyed to the patients
and their attendants by Sisters of
Charity. The nurses furnish accounts
by telephone of all changes in the pa
tents condition.
PRECAUTIONS TOO LATE.
Every person who has come in con-
tact with Herr Barsch. principally the
hospital attendants, have been isolated,
scne Of them resisting and others try
ing to escape, but were captured, and
all were locked up. 1t is feared, how
ever, that the precautions were taken
too late. Herr Barsch was Ill for three
days before he saw a doctor, during
which he lived with his wife and visited
vine shops. The wife has now deNei-
foped symptoms, visited friends, rode
in public cmnibuses and came in con-
tact with dozens of persons at her nus
bands funeral.
The excitement in medical circles. is
tremendous. The well known chemist,
Professor Hofrotz. has made a pa
thetic speech, during which he eX-
pressed the hope that the doctors Of
Vienna will prove themselves equal to
all emergencies. This reveals the fact
that it is the opinion of medical men
at the Austrian capital that the plague
is likely to spread in that city. An
other significant Indication of this ap-
prehension is found in the fact that a
temporary hospital, consisting CT sew
eTal detached sheds was hastily erect
ed during the past night. beyond the
infectious hospital. One hundred men
worked by torchight there in order to
complete it as quickly as possible.
painful feature of the ViHnese
situation is the INSCRIPTIONS attitude
Of the anti-Semitic newspapers. which
are accusing the Jewish doctors Of
bringing the plague to Vienna. 1t is
feared that this appeal to the worst
passions of the mob. will lead to plague
riots against the Jews if the disease
spreads.