The Negro world., 1900-04-28
THE BUBoNIc DISEASE.
MOrtsiity List Of the Dreaded Dis-
ease brought Down Through
History.

The following figures convey an
idea of the fearful raSages of the hu-
bonie plague from the time of the
first historical record of its eNistence;
The history of bubonie plague dates
from the second and third centuries
before Christ, and two AleNandrian
physicians ZDioseorides and Positlo-
MUS, who were contemporaries of
Christ, have left description of the
disease which leaves no doubt that it
WAS the same as that of modern
times. The plague never died out,
but il was not until the middle of the
fourteenth century that the horrible
epidemic known as the "blaek plague"
visited Europe and caused the death
of more than 25.ooo. eco people
disease was epidemic in London in
134s. 1861 and i36s.. In 1852 two.thirtls
of the academic population of Oxford
died of il. 1t was again epidemic in
London in 400, l406. 142s. l472 and
1899. In 1906 over 10000 persons died
of il in Paris. In 1868 IL broke out
again in London. and the mortality
WAS more than 1000 per week. In
1872 Lyons lost $4,000 of its popula-
tion from the plague. In 1878 IL Wis
tied Venice and carried of 10000 per-
sons. In 1908 the mortality of an.
other epidemic In London reached
$4,000. In 1903 an epidemic In Egypt
is said TO have resulted In the death
of 100000 people. An epidemic in
London, in 1925, caused mortality of
$4,000, and In 1896 more than 10000
Londoners were carried Off. In 1886
there was "A terrific epidemic which
carried off 10000 in Naples, 90, 600 in
Genoa and $4,000 in Rome. In 1868
IA fresh epidemic in London resulted
in the death OF 6s,5o0 people, This Is
the first absolutely accurate estimate
on record. In 1879 Vienna lost 76 .000
Uy plague and in 1851 Prague lost s3..
600. In 1904 Stockholm had an epidem.
ic. with about 10000 fatal cases. In
1920 an epidemic in Marseilles carried
of from 10000 10 10000 people In
1870 and 177i the plague killed 3o0,-
600 people in Moldovia, Wallachia,
Transylyania, Hungary and Poland.
and in the same year fourth of
the population of Moscow died of
plague. Since that time there have
been frequent outbreaks of the dis.
ease, and II has constantly existed in
Lower Hindostan and about Constan-
tinople. but there have been nc
really great epidemies. Coming &c
recent times. Bombay suffered an
epidemic in 1896. In January the
mortality was nearly 5000. and in
February. 4,6OO. The total mortality
in the presidency of bombay has been
lG4,Os3 In Puma, last August. there
was an average of tG0 deaths day,
in a population OF Go,o00
II is remarkable fact that Euro.
peans seem scarcely susceptible 20 the
disease nowadays and are able &c
Withstand its ravages when infected
During the recent outbreak in Hong.
Kong only ii Europeans were at
tackled, and the mortality in their
cases was but 1872 per cent Among
japanese 30 cases) the mortality was
so per cent, among Portuguese resi-.
dents (is cases) the mortality was
s6 per cent. and among Chinese 2.6is
cases) the mortality was o3.4 per
cent
DIR. George NJ. Sternberg, l.. l.. ID.
in an interesting article In the Geo.
graphic Magazine says:
II shall have the satisfaction OF
stating that preventive medicine has
made such progress during the past
so years that there is very little dan.
ger that bubonic plague will ever
again commit serious ravnges in the
more enlightened countries OF Europe
or that IL is serious menace TO the
lives and prosperity of citizens of the
United States"