The Portland daily press., 1898-11-10
THE PLAGUE IN VIENNA.

The death of the hospital attendant
Barisch from the plague has caused a
considerable sensation in Vienna. The
facts of the case are briefly as follows:
Barisch, who was an attendant at the
pathological institute attached to the
Central Hospital. and was considered ex-
ceptionally intelligent and fully conscious
of thu dangerous nature of his work, was
intrusted with the cleaning and feeding
of the animals kept for the bactsriologi
cal study of the plague. He had, how
ever, refused last month TO undergo the
new process Of incubation. although
some favorable results had already been
obtained. was ut the institute myself
this morning, and cannot remember
having visited any hospital on the Cont.
nent that appeared cleaner and better
kept. Barisch was on night duty from
Friday to Saturday last. He was taken
suddenly i'll on Saturday morning. At
first it was thought that he had inf1u-
enza. One of the medical practitioners
who treated him had been to Bombay
officially for the purpose of studying the
plague; he took personal interest in
Barisoh and examined him to make sure
whether it was influenza or not. This
examination led him to suspect that 1t
was case OF plague. fact which. how
ever, was only clearly established on
Tuesday. Barisch had been removed to
the clinical ward Of the eminent ply
sician, Prof. Nothnagel, and was there
completely isolated from the other pa
tients. He died on Tuesday evening.
Full particulars of the case were at once
supplied to the authorities, and far.reach-
ing precautions were taken to avofu In !.
lection.
Work has been carried on for over q
year in the so.oalled plague-room, or ex-
perimental laboratory, where the deceased
was employed, without the slightest acci-
dent OF any kind. During this period
the only persons allowed to enter the
room were the professor himself. Ur.
Albretcht and his colleague and the at
tendant Barisch. In the beginning, wnen
experiments were constantly being made,
and when the danger was much greater
than within the last couple OF weeks,
during which practically no work was
of all the necessary precautions LETT moth
ing to be desired. He had latterly, per-
haps. grown less attentive, his sense of
danger having probably become less
keen through familiarity. This is an in
auence from which the doctors them
selves are not quite exempt. It probably
accounts for the fact that mem bers of the
profession are included among the vic
tins OF the few accidents that have oc-
Cured in such laboratories.
A circumstance of great Importance, as
throwing light on the probable mods of
Infection in this instance, was spontane-
ously communicated by Barisoh's WIFE
When she first heard of his illness she
SAID 1t was most likely due to his having
caught severe cold, as he had recently
on two occasions stayed out till an early
hour in the morning, returning home
with signs Of having had too much to
drink. AS rule, Barisch was man of
intelligence and energy, and he had grad
ually acquired considerable knowledge
of laboratory work, SO that he was really
tosbe regarded rather AS an assistant than
mere attendant A nights dissipation,
however, produced q marked effect upon
him. On the following day he no longer