The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-29
THE BUBoNIC PLAGUE.

A steamer of the japanese line has
reached San Francisco and has been
put into strict quarantine because of
the bubonic plague. The story goes
that between Nagasaki and Chinese
port she lost two steerage passengers
from the disease. Three days before
reaching Honolulu she lost. another
from the same cause and was conse-
quently quarantined at Honolulu. The
island authorities, however, appear to
have been anxious to get rid. of her
and she was released in few days and
on Monday arrived in San Francisco.
Just before reaching San Francisco an
other storage passenger died of the
plague
There need be entertained very little
fear of the introduction of the plague
upon this coast. though it is not i'm
possible. The quarantining of the ship
was therefore wise and it should be
continued until all likelihood of other
development Of the pest has passed.
This plague is very little known to
our medical faculty. The physicians
Of America know nothing about it in
practice. Even in the Orient the doc
tors do not appear to have mastered
the mystery of it's cause and course In
Hongkong in 1898 there were reported
1915 cases of the pest, the deaths
among the Chinese being far greater
than among whites. But all the while
We of the Pacific Coast were in COM
mercia1 communication and exchange
with Hongkong, but no case of the
plague was brought over. Indeed, it
is doubted by some authorities that it
is transmissible by goods, whether it
infects articles Of commerce or clings
to ship. The burden of testimony
seems to bear out the assertion that it
spreads by contact with the victims of
it mainly. Yet it is true that it has
appeared at many points without APP
parent reason. suddenly and without
any known case having been brought
in.
Early in April the dispatches in
formed us of the appearance of the
plague on the Chinese coast, to which
it seems to make an annual visitation
In Formosa it has put in appearance
and is spreading rapidly. 1t is re-
corded that the pest has caused in India
since its first appearance there the
death Of $4,000 persons, and these fig
ures are held to be far below those of
the actual truth since the natives are
noted for concealment Of deaths from
pests OF this order. In the Bombay
Presidency there is record Of 134 900
deaths from the plague, and the NOR
tally there now is reported as 1000
weekly.
In Bengal the disease is rampant and
no effective check OF it has been ac-
complished The Turkish authorities
have put forth every exertion to ex-
clude 1t from that empire but neverthe~
less it has appeared in several parts.
The disease broke out in Calcutta as
early as March Of this year, and has
not yet been stamped out, though the
mortality Is steadily decreasing. The
efforts to,enforce sanitary regulations
against the spread Of the disease was
the cause .of the serious riots reported
from Djiddah last spring. The plague
reached Mecca in March and in that
unsanitary, indeed filthy city, it has
held triumphant sway.
Persia has been quite successful in
excluding 1t, but 1t required the sever
est regulations and the most arbitrary
quarantine and exclusion Of travellers.
It appeared in the South African repub-
lie in February, the first victim being
q visiting Hindoo. Severe sanitary and
quarantine measures checked it's spread
and 1t disappeared speedily, there being
no other death from it. In Madagascar
where Utmost unexpectedly broke out in
February, there were but nine deaths,
adj among natives, no European being
attacked. DR.. .Lidwinchirp of that ISL
and, one sof the colonial health service.
reports that in his opinion the disease
was introduced into Madagascar by
reason of natives handling Indian rice
mats IN the store houses, which is to
say that 1t is transmissible through
goods of commerce.
Without any apparent reason the
plague appeared in the island of Mauri-
titus last January. but it is probable
that it was due to an imported case
which was secreted from the health au-
thoritieG In China the mortality from
the disease has been frightful, fully
500 per cent. of those attacked dying.
If the disease is transmissible through
articles of commerce and the clothing
of travellers, then on the Pacific Coast
We are constantly exposed to its as
sault. But though it has rayaged
tropical countries with which we have
intimate trade relations no case of it
has appeared here. Now for the Sec
ond time 1t has reached as far east
ward as Honolulu, where some years
ago 1t was manifest. some thousands of
people dying of the scourge.
There is therefore no reason for be-
lief that It might be developed and
might spread in. this semi-tropical ch-
mate, but there is also quite positive
knowledge that rigid quarantine will
prevent Its introduction. The fact that
with all the shipping from tropic sec
tons which comes into Pacific ports,