Evening journal., 1900-03-16
CRemoylng a Body In bombay.

extended 20 Constantinople. where Il is
said to have caused the death OF 10000
persons IN one day.
From the seventh TO the fourteenth
century other epidemics occurred, but
no one OF them could be compared with
the outbreak that ragged in Europe the
middle Of the fourteenth century. 1t
Is said TO have carried Off $4,000 900 per-
sons In Europe. and its victims
throughout the whole world We're es-
timated at 10000 900. which Is unoues-
tionably the greatest havoc in human
life ever mentioned in history.
During the great plague In London in
1865 nearly seventy thousand persons
were carried OF. The seventeenth CEN
tury marked its last appearance in
many European countries. such as
Denmark. Sweden and England. In
France its last appearance was from
1920 TO 1922, when It made eighty thou
sand victims in Marseilles and Prov
enco.
At the close OF the last century the
plague reached Egypt. Southeastern
Europe, the region OF the Danube.
Lower Austria an Southern Russia.
AT the beginning Of the present CEN
tury Il twice visited Constantlnople.
and spread 10 the shores OF the Adri-
attic. But from 1sl5 TO the present day.
with the exception OF a slight outbreak
in Russia, In 1877. and its recent ap-
pearance In Portugal. the great scourge
has been confined TO certain African
and Asiatic countries. But its tend-
ency 20 expand. and the recent ravages
il has wrought in India and China,
have kept the eyes Of the world fixed
In alarm upon it.
At first every attempt at sanitation
or segregation in Bombay encountered
resistance and aroused a hatred and
distrust exceeding even the terror OF
the plague itself. Street tumults were
frequent, the hospital was twice at
tackled by riotous mobs, and crowds
constantly collected around the ambu-
lance vans, which were stoned. and the
officers OF the health department were
often in danger Of their lives. The op-
position grew in violence until It cul-
minated in the Poona murders.
But the aversion TO the absolutely
necessary measures Of isolation was
not the only difficulty which the reliev-
ing stan had to encounter As is well
established the plague has a strong
partiality for small animals, especially
rodents. Whether the plague was or
was not brought by ship rats from
Chinese ports medical observation un-
mistakably pointed to the conclusion
that the rats IN Bombay were widely
infected by the disease, and were
spreading IL through the city. But the
Indian tenderness for animal life gave
rise to an unexpected obstruction. Says
| the official report.--"All attempts 10
capture the rats were fiercely opposed,
and picking up a few sick pigeons al
most raised a riot. The people would
not believe that the hopeless condition
Of their own dark, damp, filthy, over
crowded houses was their real danger
! Every form Of obstruction was resorted
to when the municipality attempted to
deal with their dwellings. The ten
ants refused TO do anything. maintain
ing 1t was the duty Of the landlords
The landlords were not to be found
and when the municipal authorities at
tempted TO do the necessary work they
had often TO carry It out in the face
Of hostile and violent crowds. Through
out the Executive was subjected 90 a
perfect storm Of threats. abuse and
protest from persons who deemed them.
selves aggrieved from the measures
adopted to protect them. why not lei
us die Of the plague was the common
cry, instead Of interfering with our
customsT
Gradually these feelings of opposi-
ton 10 sanitary restrictions have les.
sened in Bombay and throughout q
great portion of India, for the peopl,
have had trightful object lesson, and
have come 20 a partial understanding
that the English authorities are really
trying to help them, and they have
seen the good results Of that help.
Light and air are IN a high degre,
unfavorable TO the development of thu
plague. In the open air it dries up and
withers, it loses its power OF infection
in six days, and, generally speaking
the experiments tend TO show that 1t Il
a short lived organism except unde
conditions specially adapted to IL
wants.
There is no absolute specific know
for the plague. though good result
have been obtained from Professo
Hanhines preventive serum. The gen
eral means so far adopted for fighting
the plague are sanitary precaution
skilled nursing, suitable feeding, AM
the proper use OF antipyretics. ano
dynes and stimulants.