The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
rs EUROPE rHREAEExEDs
A Question Suggested by the Presence O
Bubonic Plague in Vienna.

A Question Suggested by the Presence OF
Bubonic Plague in Vienna.
Tho terror In Vienna which has followed
the outbreak Of bubonio plague there, and
the deaths of i've persons in addition to that
Of Herr Barisch. who first contracted the dis
ease from the careless handling Of germs I'M
der cultivation In Prof. Nothnsgle's bacteria
logical laboratory. is not without foundation
in the possibilities Of the disease. aside from
the effectiveness 10 q highly civilized COM
munity OF modern methods OF isolation and
antiseptic treatment For the bubonio plague.
which still devastates India and other ORR
entail countries. is the same disease which
for centuries periodically devastated Europe.
appearing in England as late as 1885 and
only retiring from the Continent within the
century. The earliest historical record Of
what is believed to have been the bubonio
| plague carries it back to 1877 Z. @.
In 446 A. D. it invaded En- gland, hardly
leaving enough living to bury the dead. ac-
century the whole, world was swept by the
worst devastation that has ever afflicted mGn-
lures resembled the. modern bubonic, plague,
and In spite of certain differences. is believed
t ta d hsye eob been nalt the SANE am - disease i easel In 1I Egr sIS
1856. and in Asia 25.oo0.o06 its last vista
t doD in n E i9E1' sSr the I 81 Ss5 6PlSg gssso of Lon m
Of the area in which the plague was prevalent
began. with lessening frequency. too. In It's
outbreaks. In the eighteenth century 1t con-
tinued TO retire. and in the first third Of this
pean Turkey. ceasing altogether in 1S41. with
the exception OF an outbreak in Cis-Caucasian
Russia In 1879. which was regarded as having
the chief characteristics Of the plague. but
only affected a limited area.
Observations OF the long intervals between
previous visitations have. however. led some
authorities to believe in the possibility of o
recurrence OF the disease In epidemic form In
Europe. In general it is held that civilized
for public health prevent such a possibility.
The bubonic plague is a contagious fever.
chiefly characterized. by. dwellings. usually
| confined to the glands OF the groin. armpits.
and neck. but in violent cases occurring all
over the body. which after death are often OF a
dark color. thus giving the disease it's title Of
black plague in some OF its epidemics. In
some cases 1t begins with swellinRs. followed
by a mild fever. with possible, recovery inside
followed by death within a few hours, pre-
coded by a vomit OF blood and without the CO.
currence of the characteristic swellings.
OF its origin. methods OF transmission and
cure little Is known. 1t is believed to arise In
closely crowded communities living In . moist.
heated atmosphere in a condition OF filth. In
sporadic cases 1t Is not believed to be trans
missible. In its epidemic form 1t. follows
SlqsS fsso fbe aiF . %sth the Be t 1lsfss sY,u 5Rfset sSd
handling their clothing. The disease Is
known to have been carried by rats. an cpl
demie among them havtaG been followed ny
the plague among men. This is said. to have
been the case In the recent epidemic Of the
bubonic plague In India.