The sun., 1899-04-16
INDIA'S DEADLY PLAGUE.
ALREADY IT mas KILLED $4,000 PER-
SONS AND rs Still ENCHECkED.


teristics of tho Disease Theories ns t"
It's Introduction Into the Country-Rats,
Monkeys and Squirrels Potent Factors
In Its Disseminntion--TheP Plague fnce.
LONDON. March 31.-The following account
OF how the plague la dealt with in India has
been written by an English surgeon In the In
ann civil service who was placed in charge OF
the frst plague camp outside OF Bombay. and
finally contracted the disease himself and
has not yet entirely recovered from its direiul
effects. This terrible scourgc. according to the
latest returns. has killed no less than $1,000
persons in the Presidency Of Bombay alone.
-un no rsvages are still! heyond control.
Five o'clock in the afternoon OF day early in
February. D7. my wife and were sitting at tea
on the veranda OF our bungalow In a big mill
tary cantonment in tho PunJab. had just re-
turned from my afternoon visit TO the hospital
and amused myself by throwing pieces OF cake
into the compound and watching tho race for
them between our little fox terrier and the
crowd OF hungry crows that perched on every
vantage point. Suddenly the dog darted down
the drive toward the gate barking iurouslv.
and looking in that direction, saw camel
orderly riding toward the house. Approaching
the verandn. he gravcly salutcd and said to my
servant. who had gone to meet him. FIX. chitti
Doctor Saith re waste. darSwast mangt"' II
have letter Tor the doctor please sign for its
receipt. Hastily scrbbling my initials on the
delivery sheet l read
1.-The Lieutenant- General with tho Govern
ment OF India requests that the services OF Sur
Reon Y. be placed at the disposal Of the Govern
ment OF Bombay for plague duty in that Presi
dency He should proceed as speedily as possible
to Bombay and report himself TO the principal
med ical officer for further instructions"
When the sun rose the next day it found me
speeding BON hayward. Arriving there. lost
no time in presenting myself at the principal
medical officers office and interviewing his
secretary. "Ah. Mr.. ~" said that gentleman.
very glad to see YOU. We want every man we
can lay our hands on. Know anything about
the plague practically? No? Well. then look
here. you can have two clear days to got ac-
uuainted with il in the best way YOU can. Go
over m the Arthur Road Hospital and SEQ DR..
Choksy's cases-he has hundred or so there:
thcn look in at tho laboratory Of the JamSctjre
Jejheeboy Hospital and get posted up az to
pathology and bactcriology: put in the rest OF
the time in whatever way seems good to you.
and hold yourself in readiness for work the
day after Tomorrow
l drove to tho Arthur Road Hospital at
Mahalakshimi. In the northern suburbs OF Bonn
hay city. The hospital was a temporary one.
hurriedly constructed of bamboo poles and
mating On entering the sight that met my
eyes was a terribly distressing one. There
were 126 cases in the hospital. OF both sexes
and all ages. Here was an old man whose at
tunuated frame served to throw into striking
prominence the fatal swelling in his groin.
while the twitchlng Of his hands. tho lividitv OF
his face and the laborious breathing told that
the end was but n matter OF few hours at
most. On another bed young Hindoo, stricken
hy the mnat viruIppt form n rho 1iGpoSn tho
glands OF his neck being affected lay muttcrng
ftfuly in his delirium. His wife. crouchng at
the bedside. was gazing at him with dumb de-
spalr and hopeless resignation. In the wo-
mems ward young mother lay in the coma
which betokened the near approach OF death.
while her chubby little brown baby strove in
vain with his voice and restless hands to rouse
her from the slumber that was fast passing
into the sleep which is ctcrnal Amid these
scenes two native doctors and two Sisters OF
Charity. clad in the picturesque garb Of their
order. moved quietly and calmly. doing all that
lay in human power to alleviate the agonies OF
these poor wIetchcs.
For three hours or more went from bed to
bed examining those patients whose condition
permitted mo to do so. and noting in the others
the signs in expression posture and move
mont which reveal so much to the medical eye.
Then sick at heart and we'll nigh overcome
Will lHc 'NOuSill VI lIc iNI IL
which we must pass. left the hospital and re-
turned to tho hotel. Later in the day visited
the Jnmsetjee Jejhceboy laboratory and spent
some time in forming practical acquaintance
with the plague mlcrobe and the post-mortem
appearances o; the plague victims.
After dinner determined upon making an
exploration Of the native quarters by night
That walk remains indclibly printed in my
memory. 1t was brilliant moonlight Bonn
tl~,D f,,1 4
palaces. as from the siores OF Malabar Hill ]
gazed at IL lying across the placid Back Bay
but the scene was quickly altered. Plunging
into the winding streets Of the native quarter
turned toward the plaguc-strickcn haunts in
Mandevie. Chinchpokli and Byculla. Here the
spectacle became weird and ghostly. The mar.
row streets with the lofty houses on either side
which allowed but little OF tho bright moonlight
TO penetrate. loImed dimly like a city OF un.
buried dead. Although it was the cold weather
fenr Of infection hal driven the natives from
the crowded tenement houses or "chawls." and
on all the sidewalk, they lay sleeping. envcl
opcd in sheets from head t. foot. and look ina
like corpseS shroudcd Tor burial. Six times
drew aside to permit the pn"SnGe OF n strotrhe
borne by four men the burden plague corpse
On many Of the houses noted the circle in roc
paint that showed plague case had been de
tectcd In that building: the greater number o
'neSr circles nau n cross INSTRUMENTATION them
which told that tho case had been fatal Or
one chawl counted fnrty-thrce OF these mark 3
Tho next morning l paid visit to tho Vic
toria terminus OF the Great In.ian Pcninsual
Hallway. and the sight presented there i'm
pressed upon mo far more forcbly than an
words or figures cuull have done the magni
tule OF the daily exodus from bombay. 1t /,
to be remcm bercl that ~ he pcriod OF whicl
am writing tho epidemic WIS spreading b,
leaps and bounds and that each succrsSv,
hour brought news Of its dreaded appcaranc,
in fresh district Of the city, But little wa
definitely known as to its mode of propagation
1T was mainly matter OF conjecture. TIT
native population viewed with distrllst AM
dissatisfaction tho measures Of inspection anc
segregation which the authorities had insti
tuted with the object Of restricting the spiea,
OF the disease. Rumors Of the most abSur,
character regarding the treatment OF tn
plague-stricken were circulating in over
1