The times., 1899-11-09

partment The following report on the
plague in India. He says:
The plague in the Bombay presidency
continues II had its inception in the lat
Ter part OF the year 1896, and has spread
into every collectorate and district Of the
presidency From statements showing the
mortality from plague furnished me by the
Government of India / find there were.
during the week ending September 3. 1893,
1890 deaths from plague in the presidency
Of Bombay.
Its progress in the southern Maratha
country during the past year has been re-
markabIe 1t has assumed an epidemic
form in the city Of Poona, a place OF over
100000 Inhabitants which, on account Of
its supposed sanitary condition-high ele-
walton. dry heat with climate from May
to November like an English spring morn
ing-has been made the home for the Bonn
bay army and the residence of the Gov
ernor during the monsoon season.
This city has had ., 331 cases and H.
SOC deaths from plague up TO the present
time The epidemic is just al present at
its height and there is great suffering and
distress During the week ended Septem-
Der 2 1893. there were l.US6 deaths from
plague and on Monday. September 4, 1889,
III cases and 10 deaths were reported in
that city.
Western India being now threatened
with famine on account OF the failure OF
the mousoons TO produce the usual amount
Of rain 10 nourish crops and induce late
sowing il is feared that the coming season
viii witness d further ravage OF the
plague.
The distance may save America; yet this
scourge repeatedly reached Europe in the
early centuries. It is now raging in the
East. and tkare is reason to fear that il is
gathering force. Il has appeared in Alex
sndTia. Egypt. and OpoTto, Portugal, which
is only a weeks journey from the western
world, and the medieval plague is quite
capable of taking advantage Of modern
rapid travelling.
The plague is an acute infective fever,
its primary cause is living organism, a
minute micrOsC0pical being which having
gained entrance TO the body, muluplles
with great raPidity producing Q series OF
local disturbances giving rise TO character
Istic symptoms and diffusiug throughout
the body subtle poison which is generally
the cause Of death.
Our modern physicians are not much
better equipped for the treatment OF the
disease than were their medieval pTede-
cessors incubation, although its results
a prophylactic rather than treatment, e
waiFeBgzinst the enemy rather than
weapon with which 10 meet ii. There are,
OF course. great advances in the general
treatment OF the cases, but modern science
has not yet discovered a specific against
plague.
The plague microbes are capable Of
living and multiplying only while they
have access 10 supplies of organic nOurisn-
~ il "a T1 Il 1F-rI In rRF
body 10 body or TO remain alive and even
multiply outside Of the body. Thus there
are two ways in which plague may travel;
il may creep from patient 70 patient in
direct chain. OF il may use places whore
suitable decayiEg substances are 10 be
found as temporary links IN the chain.
An auut0Zlne. or serum, first prepared
by Prof Hamlune as plague incubation,
called HaElunes s prCphyIactic Is now being
used an Bombay and western India with
remarkable results.
This prOphylactic is prepared by first
taking the plague baCilH. OF the young
germs from q person affected with the
plague and cultivatug them. These mi
crobes are killed by artificial means and
a high degree Of heat. From these dead
germs and their poisonous eZcrements is
produced q fluid that is believed 20 have
acquired the power. when injected into the
human system TO render the blood i'm
20 ueutraliZe their effect The injection Of
such a poison has the effect Of an anti
tOXile and prevents the system from uOur-
ishiug plague 4 dead plague germ being
iuOcuiated into q person plague viii not
follow. A person after having one attack
q the disease Is rarely liable 10 second.
The person first iuOculated Is subject 10
symptoms Of The plague In vaccination
FOR smallpox living germ is dealt with.
whereas In plague iuOculaJiOn dead seed
only are injected.
Experiments are now being carried on
Al the laboratory al the Government
House. Parel. Bombay where further dis
coveFy is expected TO perfect this plague
preventative.
Strangely enough. incubation IS ex-
CeedinEIy unpopular among the natives.
The Government has had great labor in
persuading the HindO0 mind OF the efficacy
OF HaGkiue's pr0phylactic against plague
and at the same time its utter harm ess-
ness IN every other respect
The Hint00 is suspicious that the dead
germs and their toxic eXcreta may be Of
animal rather than vegetable substance.
which would make The injection OF the fluid
into their body religious offence
The measures generally relied upon in
the dry season were entire evacuation OF
infected villages and bamlets. isolation Of
the sick. segregation Of the contacts p and
places. IN localities where the outbreak
grew yirulent in the monsoon. evacuation
was impossible, but inoculation was ex-
teDslyely tried and strikng.y y demons rated
the protective power Of the prOphylactic-
AT first the people failed utterly TO un-
dentand the use OF segregation. To the
masses. infection and contagion had no
meaning. Nothing but the splendid conf
denCe Of the people in the British Govern
meut could have made sanitary measures
possible. in the broadcast and rapid manner
in which IL became necessary 10 use them
among unframed and uneducated millions
owing 10 the enormous population Of
the city OF Bombay. and also 10 the fact
that many plague cases are supposed. Sc
creted, or returned under fever or other
causes, il Is impossible to get general sta
tistics OF the effects 0f Hankiue's plague
inOculaIiou. However, ] have a few re-
General Debility,