The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-28
IN DANGER Of PLAGUE
But Health Authorities Say
That If 1t Comes
IT WILL NOT BE VIRULENT
How Serum Is Made and How
1t Does Its Work
IT WILL NOT BE vIRULEN1

LTOIn Iuat most OFeGQeQ OF ali diseases
the Black Plague. Two steamships be
longing to an American line are now un
dergolng quarIntine In Japan because o
outbreaks of the disease on board. Tn
OLYMPIA, of the Northern Pacific line, 1
held by the authorities at Nagasak; tn
American Maru is in the same predica
ment at Yokohoma- Men suffering from
the bubonic plague were found on boil
ships. In spite of this. it is the opinion o
experts that the plague will never be abb,
to make any Roadway in this country.
| will be strange If there should not be
case at all on American shores. but unless
a grave misadventure should occur Their,
| is believed to be little real danger OF &
spread OF the scourge. This fact, how
| ever, is due more to the bacteriologis
than to the sanitarian. The present
| knowledge which exists concerning the
plague has been CLEANED at the risk Of
| the lives of the investigators, and more
| than one scientist has fallen victim dur.
| ing the quest. The result has beer per.
/ feet understanding Of the method of dis
| infection, as well as of the disease Itself
! and this has brought out the most desira-
BILE thing of all-the discovery of serum
which will often cure a patient smitten
with plague, and will always render i'm
mune those who are exposed to infection
Sanitary science has done much for New
York, but IL is a recognized fact that
there still remain many sections which
would be an active menace to the health
of the city should even one case of plague
| occur there. Perhaps the most unsani-
tary district in New York is the Chinese
| quarter, and 1t unfortunately happens
that 1t is the most likely place in which a
case of imported plague might be found.
The ships now in quarantine in japanese
ports are bringing to America dozens of
returning merchants" whose destination
is the heart of Chinatown. The belong
ings of these men may, or may not, be
thoroughly disinfected. They are not so
particular at the western ports of entry
as they are in New York. The Chinese
have hatred of hospitals and American
doctors and. should such a sporadic case
materialize 1t is altogether unlikely that
1t would be reported to the Health Board.
In all probabilities the authorities would
know nothing Of the outbreak until it had
grown bad enough to frighten the Chi
nese themselves. And in matters of dis
ease the take lot of frightening before
the talk Should such an outbreak occur,
however, it is certain that it could be
ninimized the prompt use Of the anti
plague serum which could be produced by
the Board of Health in any quantity that
might be needed The use of this serum
has lessened the ravages Of the plague In
India, has enabled Europe to feel assured
in the event Of an outbreak, and has al
lowed the European population Of Hong
kong to live secure in the midst Of a
plague-stricken city. ALI around them the
Chinese. fearing the white mans science
more than the plague. have fallen like
leaves in autumn. The Europeans, inocu-
lated with the serum and rendered i'm
mune, have been exempt from the at
lacks of the disease.
If this country has reason to feel IN
easiness at the approach of the plague
Europe has much. There are in America
many unsanitary towns, but it is FORUM
ately the fact that the worst Of them is
not at all likely to be selected by fate for
starting point for an outbreak of the
plague. Experience shows that the
scourge is invariably imported into dis
tant countries by ships. In the Orient it
has been spread by caravans and the or
binary means of travel. but IT reached
China by water, and would have to take
the same route to reach the United States
On the east and west America is fairly
well protected There is not ore chance
in a thousand for a case of plague TO get
past DR.. Doty and his quarantine station
in New York Boston and Phila1elphia
are not so we'll protecteda-but they 'ar be
considered fairly safe. All that Is true Of
the east applies without much r01difica-
ton to the West There IS good dn3Tan-
tine protection at San Francisco az well
as at northen ports. The weak l.oint Of
the country Is at New Orleans. The GUAR
antlne supervision there Is considered to
be by no means strict. whils the SANTA
| ton of the town leaves Icucn to be de-
sired. Any city which. yea aftet-Hear
allows an outbreak of yell ~ fever to take
place in it's limits is likely to De sought
| out by the plague. Both yellow fever and
| the plague are fifth diseases. Those who
watch over the health IF tie country tsy
that it IS fortunate that few ships go ii-
sect from plague-infected ports to New
| Orleans
Europe has much more cause for appre-
| hension. for the plague is at its very
! gates Every ship coming westward for
| Mediterranean ports or for England
| touches at Cairo and Suez. The plague is
| epidemic in both places. and there ave
been many deaths. There is, in fact. hut
one apparent method of successfully COM
batting the plague. and that is to immun-
ize every one who is IN danger of being
brought into contact with contagion.
Certain things can be done afterwari. #
IS true. but once the plague has struck
home the chances OF survival for the
! patient are only five per cent Those who
have had actual experience with the
| plague ay that too great stress cannot be
! laid on the fact that personal cleanliness.
| or. indeed. the cleanliness OF n city. does
not protect against the plague. II IS
| probable that no more sanitary SPOT could
| he found than the laboratory OF the great
| General Hospital in Vienna. II is equally
certain that. from the very nature OF
/ Their occupation, DR.. Mueller and his as
sistant Barisch. were rigidly particular
| as to their personal additions. Yet both
those men died OF the plague. They had
been conducting incubation experiments
with the germs Of bubonic plague
thing which has been done with the bacilli
| OF every other disease since the germ
theory was first prove6-and the bacilli
proved their potency by killing both men.
Il is TO Professor Yersin. physician in
the French colonial service. that the
world owes SIS thanks for the preventive
serum which renders those who use Il
immune against the plague He began his
! investigations at a time when the aSue
was attracting but little attention
The plague. which has ravaged the east.