The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-30

T.
bonic plague which DR.. Muller
brought from India here killed
him. Professor Barisch, who re-
Il fused to leave his chief when ne
was stricken, also is dead Be
sides these two men. five others have
already fallen victims to the scientific
investigations.
The bubonic plague has ragged period
-icaIy over Asia and. Europe for cen
turtles and no power has ever been able
to stop it till change of wind swept it
away It disappeared as mysterious
ly as it came.
The plague selects its victims as if
it. walked among the people, not one
and then the next one, but as the steps
of a man between the victims.
Superstition says that the Wandering
Jew, upon whom our Savior pro-
nounced the curse Thou shall go on
till l return" carries with his presence
the plague.
The period of illness is short. Men
in the act of carrying the dead to bu-
rial are stricken, fall and themselves
are of the dead.
There is no scourge to compare with
it in horror, when it passes through
the half starved, huddled up peoples
of India.
Can science stay the plague?
The University of Berlin is expert
menting with the germs. DR.. Muller
went TO India and watched it, escap-
ing all the dangers. Carefully pro-
tected cultures of the different microbes
accompanying the disease were brought
back to Vienna, where better facilities
are found for studying them than in
India.
In attempting to isolate the bubonic
plague microbe he himself became in
oculated. Just how this occurred is a
mystery.
At first 1T was not recognized that
the scientist was suffering with the
plague. His doctors thought some cas-
ual illness only affected him. His as
sistant, DR.. Barisch, attended him. Be
sides the doctor, there were two nurses
and one other attendant. They all
came and went from the sick mans
presence without precaution for two
days.
Suddenly one of the nurses fell i'll;
then another. Precautions against in
fectlon were at once~begun, but even
then no one suspected the truth, till
Professor Barisch died
In the meantime Mrs. Muller had
been exposed, but had returned to her
home and went about among her
friends. Other nurses and attendants
did the same.
When two men had died Vienna be-
came alarmed. The plague was in
their midst and no known remedy ex-
listed.
Prevention was their only hope
Every one who was known to have
been exposed was compelled to go into
a detached building connected with the
university. Several persons resisted
They were promptly arrested and forcl.
bly, put into the isolated house They
are attended by Sisters of Charity and
by DR.. Pooch, who volunteered for the
service. All the sick and those VIII
are suspected Of being infected with
the microbes are Enclosed in the ono
house, which is carefully guarded and
quarantined. a rope is stretched
around the house and guards placed To
prevent any one approaching or leav-
ing the place.
Provisions are furnished by means of
baskets on pulleys. When DR. Muller
wanted medicine for the sick he wrote
his prescription and pasted Il on TO the
window glass, so that those outside
could read it,
The bodies of the dead are wranned
in sheets soaked in disinfectants and
then cremated. Every article which
could be infected is carefully burned.
When DIR. Muller fell i'll he struggled
his best against the disease. He kent
on his feet attending the others and
watching and noting the symptoms and
effects of the remedies. He kept in
communication with the other physi-
clans of the Vienna University by
means Of a telephone. Consultations
were held and every change noted. He
watched his own symptoms and wrote
them down in his diary. He saw four
others die and wrote the details at
length.
At last fever and delirium overca1ne