The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-03

| the Oacilli.
The bacilli are found in the bodies OF
rats and mice found dead during an
epidemic.
There is sometimes a great mortality
among rats, mice, snakes. beetles, bugs.
hles, dogs-less frequently,-jackals.
Purely herbivorous anfmals-horseg.
oxen, sheep. goats. rabbits-are usually
exempt pending and accompanying out
breaks OF plaguetn man.
Other ANIMALS also may die, oxen.
sheep. deer. pigs. dogs-!ess frequeLtly.
Fleas carry II from animal to animal
and from animal TO man and from man
to animal. Fleas leave dead animals
10 20 TO living ones or hide In clothes.
Rats contract the disease by breath
ing the air OF an infected house or by
eating and drinking contaminated food
and water. or by eating cadayers OF
man and OF animals.
They In feet homes by defecatlon or
by dying In or under houses
! The disease Is communicated by
breathing tne air OF an infected room.
also by eating and drinking In an in
fected room, also by conveyance from
the fingers or glasses or fork. etc. 60
the mouth.
Rats and mice fed on cultures or ON
/ fragments OF liver or spleen OF animals
dead OF plague acquire the disease.
Iersin placed in the eame cage
healthy and inoculated mice. The in
oculated died first. but afterward the
originally healthy and uninoculated
mice also succumbcd
| Inhalation experiments have thus far
| been negative.
The extension OF the epidemic de-
pends oftener on place infection than
1 ov, HfrrrF faufon from srraau 90
person.
II spreads from one country 20 an
other by religious pilgrimage. by or
dinary travellers and their baggage, by
rats. neas and other vermin.
Plague Is not so infectious as scarlet
fever. measles. smallpox and typhus
PLAGUE Conveyance by Merchandise.
l-Foilowing IL an extract from the Lon
don Lancet OF March 10, 1897, upon this
subject:
| A special commission was appointed
by the French Academy OF Medicine In
| 1876. and made report upon the danger
Of the importation Of the plague in
fection through merchandise from in
fected ports.
The Delivery (nf the commission OF
| 1S46) was as follows:
Inere is mn proof that uierehandise
can transport plague outside OF the cpl
dsmic foci. and the arguments upon
which this conclusion was based were:
| (Translatlon.)
In 1885 epidemic plague prevailed at
Alexandria among the employees Of all
| grades living in the warehouses OF the
Egyptian government A great guam
| tity Of bales of cotton. handled daily by
laborers, were shipped TO all the great
ports OF Europe from January TO June
that is to say. during the period OF
the epidemic-without a single case
of plague resulting. In 1895. 31.7o9
bales were carried to England, 33.S12
| to Marsellles. 424 10 Leghorn. $50 To
Holland 30 .263 10 Trieste. 80 TO various
ports. Thege cotton bales. we repeat.
did not convey plague Co anyone. al
though no precaution was taken TO dis
infect them. They were compressed
before being put on board. and were
then piled In as small a space ne pos
sible. The matches we're closed. and the
vessel left Alexandria. OF the 16 En-
glish vessels loaded with cotton which
left Alexandria from the beginning OF
January TO the end OF June. eight had
| plague on board. but the cotton loaded
/ in these vessels was not more DANCER.
Gus than that OF non-infected vessela
We close, gentlemen. what We had TO
say with regard 10 the transmissibility
OF plague by directing your attention
TO a fact OF great importance. which ia
positively and officially recognized.
Since 1920 not one of the porters en-
ployod at the lazaretto OF Marsailles IN
7 loading and handling merchandise has
contracted plague.
Generally speaking u Is now consid-
cred that new merchandise plays a
small role In the conveyance OF disease.
Causes Internal and Individual.
The disease is rarer after fifty than
during adolescence.
Certain occupations like rag-dealing
may increase the risk Of infection.
II may penetrate by respiration, by
/ ingestiOn; also by inOculation through
slight wounds. The disease may be
+ communicated through tr.nlng wounds
OF the hand. face OF other parts OF the
surface. II Is conceivable that the
| germs that may be lying about on the
ground deposited there by the dis-
charges OF sick men or animals, or per-
! haps growing there In natural culture.
may have been picked up In this way.
| The bacillus persists In the bodies OF
/ the convalesoen for at least three
weeks after cessation OF the active dis
ease.
/ The pla-uc q due 10 bacillus dis
covered by kitlsato In 1894.
II is found In great quantities In the
buboes. generally in pure cultures, but
often associated with the pus cocci.
/ II is also found In the blood. IL is
easily detected only By cultivation az
the beginning. and with difficulty d.
rectiy by the microscope.
But tovard the end % the attack they
are so numerous that they are readily
I seen by the microscope directly.
The bacilli Of the blood are shorter
than those OF the fluids.
They are also found in the intestinal
contents and In the feces.
The bacillus ls found In the BLOOD
obtained from the finger tips OF the liv-
ing: also IN the intestinal organs.
The most favorable tempeTature 'or
tho cultures f. from 90 TO 80 G.
The bacillus does not form spores