Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-27
INDIAN PLAGUE MORTALITY
In Comparison with the Death Rate
of Cholera.

The latest figures about the plague I'm
India are serious, says the Fan MAN
Gazette. Happily it has not yet taken
hold I'm Calcutta. but II is widely dis
tributed i'm the districts OF tho Bombay
presidency, and has extended into SOUTH
ern India. When the weather becomes
colder and the people spend more tiihe
shut ND i'm their houses. without the pro-
lection given by light and air, the indian
Government may be called upon TO de-
eide how il will deal with an outbreak
on a more extended scale than II mas
vet had To meet, and everything now
points to the pest remaining in the couns
try for some years TO come, The prOpor-
ton OF fatal attacks has been very
large. but the aggregate mortality at
tributed to plague throughout the whole
OF India during the past two years Is
not so great as the average annual NOR
tality from cholera In single large pro-
vince. And the attitude OF the peo-
nile themselves is that they would like
10 be left alone TO die, IL fate has 81
determined il. instead Of being forced 20
evacuate their houses and enter hospi-
tai or segregation camp. Every removal
of the kind has to be In some measure
controlled by native subordinates, ana
we may feel certain that II almost inVd-
! riablv involves loss of property as
| we'll as a somewhat violent interference
with domestic privacy. The dislike or tho
! public for the plague regulations mas pro-
! badly been intensified by the fact mat
| medical science mas so far devised no
effective treatment for the malady. IL
there were nothing 10 be considered but
the feelings Of the people the line for
| the government TO take would be clear.
| for IL is only in the interests of the COM
| merce OF the Indian empire that tho
stringent regulations for dealing with mo
plague can be justified. The people or
the country know nothing and care no.
thing for considerations such as these.
The dilemma I'm which the government
* placcd IS a most embarrassing one.
II n maintains for an indefinite time
regulations that involve continuous In
preference with the domestic concerns
Of people 10 whom the privacy OF
their houses Is especially dear 1t VIII run
the risk of making them sullen and dis
contented. while II IL relaxes them Tor
eiQn governments may insist on greater
| restrictions on the commerce OF tho couh-
try Something might, perhaps be done
10 prevent the latter II the facts reg ard
ing the outbreak OF plague were carefully
| investigated from n scientific point OF
view and the result made public. H. may
be that the danger Of the plague attack
ing Europe has been exaggerated. and
there must be. now that two years have
passed since IL broke out, many Facts Of
interest known TO individuals employed II
dealing with the outbreak which couh
only be collated and effectively examined
bv scientific experts. IL would also be OF
great advantage TO obtain n reliable opin'
ion on the results Of incubation, botf
"a n protection against the plague ano
g.tyal f.tFt h.
,ine has. we think, come when the gov
eminent might consider the adyisabilit,
~ directing q. formal inquiry into these