Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-06-16
RAVAGES OF PLAGUE.
historical Mortality List of the
Dread Disease.
The scourge OF India Dates from tho
second and Third Centuries,
H. C.-Horrors OF the
Epidemic.

The following figures convey an
idea of the fearful ravages Of the bu-
bonic plague from the time of the
hrst historical record of it's existence.
The history of bubouic plague dates
from the second and third centuries
before Christ, and two Alexandrian
physicians, Dioscorides and posid,
MUS, who were contemnoraries of
christ, have left a description of the
disease which leaves no doubt that if
was the same as that of modern
times. The plague never died out
but it was not until the middle of the
fourteenth century that the horr;5le
epidemic known as the "black plague"
visited Europe and caused the death
OF more than 100000 people, The
disease was epidemic in T.ondob in
134S, 1861 and 1865, In 1852 two-thirds
OF the academic population of Oxford
o+ed Of it. 1t was again epidemic in
London in 1900, 14O6, 1925. 1472 and
1899. In 1906 over 10000 persons died
Of it in Paris In 1868 it broke out
again in London, and the mortality
was more than 1000 per week. In
1872 Lyons lost $4,000 OF its popula-
ton from the plague. In 1915 it WIS.,
tied Venice and carried off 10000 per-
sons. In 1903 the mortality of an.
other epidemic in London reached
$4,000. IN 1903 an epidemic in Fpvut
IS said to have resulted in the death
OF 100000 people. An epidemic in
London, in 1925, caused a mortality of
$4,000, and in 1886 more than 10000
Londoners were carried off. In 1886
there was a terrific epidemic which
carried off 10000 in Naples, 10000 in
Genoa and 140o0 in Rome. In 1865
fresh epidemic in London resulted
in the death of G8,500 people. This is
the first absolutely accurate estimate
| on record. In 1879 Vienna lost 10000
ny plague and in 1851 Prague lost So
| 000. In 1704 Stockholm had an epidem-
ic, with about 10000 fatal cases. In
1920 an epidemic in Marseilles carried
off from 10000 TO 10000 people In
| l770 and 1T71 the plague killed 30O,-
/ 600 people in MOldovia, Wallachia.
| Pennsylvania, Hungary and Poland
and in the same year one-fourth of
the population of Moscow died of
plague Since that time there have
been frequent outbreaks of the dis
ease, and it has constantly existed in
Lower Hindostan and about Constan-
tinople, but there have been no
really great epidemics Coming to
recent times, Bombay suffered an
epidemic in 1896. In January the
mortality was nearly 5000 and in
February, 4,600. The total mortality
in the presidency of Bombay has been
164.9S3. In Puma, last August, there
was an average of 100 deaths a day,
in population of 10000.
1t is a remarkable fact that Euro
peans seem scarcely susceptible to the
disease nowadays and are able to
Withstand it's 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 40 cases. the mortality was
60 per cent, among Portuguese resi-
dents Us cases. the mortality was
'G6 per cent, and among Chinese 2619
cases. the mortality was 934 per
cent
DIR. George NJ. Sternberg, L. L. D.,
in an interesting article in the Geo
graphic Magazine, says:
Il 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 brbonic plague will ever
again commit serious ravages in the
more enlightened countries of Europe,
or that it is a serious menace to the
lives and prosperity of citizens of the
United States"