The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-05

ever secure decided feothold in the
United States.
This disease furnishes a striking Illus
tration of the scientific advance of modern
medicine. II was not until ts94 that POSI-
tive knowledge of its true nature beca me
known. Now its cause. method of propa-
gation. and the means to prevent its spread
are matters of scientific certainty. True,
investigation is still necessary to make
this knowledge complete. but enough is
known to warrant the foregoing statement
All through the centuries. before and dur
ing the Christian era down TO 1894. the
subject has been enveloped In darkness.
| and there has been the same cropping after
facts the same unsuccessful search for
the true cause. the same struggle in ignor-
ance against its ravages on the part of
physicians. sanitarians, and public officials
! as has marked the history of that other
great epidemic disease, cholera, now like
wise robbed of its terror by science 1t is
to the immortal Pasteur and his contem
porary, Koch, in their establishment OF
bacteriology as science. that credit is due
for the possibility of this discovery. and to
Japanese physician. DR.. Kitasato. a stu
dent in the laboratory Of Koch. and YER
sin, pupil of the Pasteur Institute we
are indebted for the discovery itself. The
| report of Kitasato announcing the dis
| covery of the plague bacillus, was publish
ed under the auspices of the University Of
Toxic. July 1. 1894 latter studying the dis
ease at Hongkong for the japanese Govern
menD.'
characteristics of the MaIady.
The nature of the disease is thus de-
scribed:
Plague. or malignant polyadenitis. as it
| has been termed by Camille, has been de-
fined as an acute febrile disease. of an in
! tensely fatal nature. characterized by in
! Illumination of the Emphatic glands, mark
/ ed cerebral and vascular disturbances, and
! by the presence of a specific bacillus The
microorgaEism invades the blood and forms
numerous and extensive colonies in the
| Spleen especially when death is delayed
beyond the second day. II is practically a
septicaema.
In a varying period of twelve hours to
twelve days, usually within four days,
after exposure the disease makes its an
peIrance in the individual. The patient
complains of high fever. swelling of ore
or more of the Emphatic glands, and has
delirum early in the attack. though
seldom violent. The fever persists at least
a week. and convalescence thereafter is
slow In fatal cases, death usually occurs
at the height of the disease, between the
second and eighth day, frequently within
forty-eight hours. II life is prolonged for
HNt SIX uHyS the pTOSHOSlS Is better.
The glands most commonly affected are
o enTse oa the rnisn anu sroi' mex, Oh me
The swollen gland quickly httains the size
Of a hens egg. In many cases OF the
seyerer type the hubo has not time TO
form, and then there are hemorrhages
from the mucous membranes and beneath
the skin-hemorrhagic extravasations-
the so-called peteciai spots, 1t is prob
ably this phenomenon. giving dark ap-
pearanee to portions Of the skin. which
has given the name OF black death to the
disease. Large buboes may form in few |
hours after time when a, person has felt !
in the best of health and. on the other |
hand. patients die OF the disease without |
the appearance of single affected gland. |
although the post-mortem examination |
shows the glands TO be slightly swollen |
and their substance contains the plague |
paeiiius;
DEAN ~ seneraiiy me result Oh a
.oAaeinia' we ehecls OF the toxins pro-
uuced py the bacillus being SHOWN as
n IN or eereori'ls: Inoeeu; tne seat
VI eiee'ioh III .ne a''ioh VI 'ne toAihs
Mouiu seem ~ oe .ne cen'rai anu sAlai
neIN ous sys.eni, winch arg the sea- oi
i,',a.oss ny $3.50 anu n,,I 81,
,,,,~ t.,, -. -
- . NJ, 80 ..,.o - -
"
The death rate varies In different cpl
denies and is estimated at from so to
90 ner cent II varies however appa~ent-
l., ,ocord;,, ~ ro,,oro,,,,os From tho
aas,aI -, - ~ eaiaS,,o 3. uo
49,, Isn. "a 'ne 49, - r
he deatb rate ~ tho sevars1 nationsIities
named. Chinese az nor cont. Tndions
|
cans iS2 The small relative nercentare
of deaths among Europeans is attributed
10 the European biood ana stamina ana 70
tne 49, a,,nn, .. ,nu III '"e
"The methods by which the bacilIi enter
the human body are three in number-by
inoculation through an external wound
or aoIdsioh'' ny iespHdioh' anu oS lnuo-
uuceioh ih'o 'he Stoii"oh' sAih -Shih
ihiection Is ihpoSsipie' uniess tne one 10 De
injected mas some wound. Inc ihdlVldual
may contract the uisease D! innahhs tne
lust from ihiecteo houses "hlcn contain
lhe germ lurthernoFe, py -lmolDlhg III
iected huids or eating injected FOOD
Modern science IN MS development oil
the serum therapy Oh disease, appears 10
nave iouhd an ehcsclous remedy IN the
prophylaxls and treatment OF this disease.
when mtherto mas maintained an average
nortdIlty vi % per cent frencn phSsi-
sian, fersin, Was the hrst 10 use the serum
rom an lmmunized morse upon cases OF
severe type. Al Annoy IN 1852 ne treated
went! lhIee cases Oh plague III tnis man
ler, all Oh whom recovered excepting Two.
whose cases were desperate from the out i
SET anu upon Whoil treatment "as nut ue-
gun untll the hith DAY OF the disease Inc ,
method in this treatment is similar TO That
" the antitoNin of diphtheria, the efficacy