The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-12
PLAGUE DATA
Surgeon Gen. Wyman'S
Pamphlet.
Extracts From Monograph on the
Nature and Treatment of the
Bubonic Scourge.

The following are portions of the
pamphlet about the bubonic plague
which has been issued by the United
States Government over the signature
of Surgeon General Wyman:
AS first described by Kitasato, the
cause Of the disease is a bacillus some
what resembling that of chicken chol- |
era, a small, short rod, with rounded |
ends. of the nonspore-bearing variety, |
characterized by it's property of ex-
tremely rapid multiplication and the
facility with which it enters the hui
man organism. 1t is found in large
numbers in the pus from the bIboes,
| occasionally in the interior organs, in
| grave cases in the blood, and in the
| feces. 1t is also found in the dust OF
infected houses and in the soil. While
so virulent, its resisting power to
/ chemical disinfectantS is feeble, sue
cumbing shortly in l per cent solu-
ton of carbolic acid or of limewater.
IL dies in four days if kept at dry
heat of co. c., or 140' F., or in half an
hour if subjected to a temperature of
so c., 1862 F., and in few minutes
J if subjected to heat of 1902 c., 2120
f. AS demonstrated in the hygienic
laboratory of the Marine Hospital Ser
, vice. il is easily destroyed by all of the
ordinary disinfectants. On the other
hand, ii develops easily in many Gull
ture-media at the ordinary tempera-
ture, 18o TO 220 c., or 64.4 degrees to
TIC degrees F.
subsequent description by Yersin
(whose discovery was coincident with
Kftasato's) differs somewhat from the
above, and as detailed by him and
: confirmed by Roux is as follows: A COO
) co-bacillus, almost as broad as long,
3 and about two micromillimeters IN
, greatest diameter. Stains very readily
) with the ordinary aniline dyes, but is
. easily overstained, thus masking its
Z true characteristics. Is best stained
with a / per cent solution of thionin,
: carbolized. when it shows as cocco-
: bacillus, staining more deeply at the
\ poles than in the center and forming
2 chains of three or four elements. Is
Z completely decolorized by the method
) of Gram. Grows readily upon ordi-
: nary media. as peptone-agar, peptone-
I gelatin, and Experimentation. Does
= not liquefy gelatin. Upon agar the
= separate colonies are very small, round
& in shape, almost transparent by trans
= mitted and white by reflected light. In
y bouillon. under ordinary conditions oil
e temperature, 1t forms fakes or fiocculi
. which rapidly sink to the bottom Of
4 the flask or test tube, leaving the
= LIQUID above clear. This is character
- istic. Examined in the hanging drop
the organism is absolutely devoid o.
automobility.
In old cultures upon agar and boull
lon the organism rapidly assumes in
volution forms. some of which ar
very curious, and most prominen
among them is that of a rather long
q slender bacillus, segmented, and pre-
senting a vacuolated appearance. i
10 this state they stain badly and hav
J., notably lost some of their virulence.
On The differences in the two descrir
AT lions as detailed above may be aC
: counted for by the pleomorphism {
the bacillus in old cultures, but IN
latter is the form usually met in an
mails subjected to experimental inocl
lation and in patients recently dea
with the disease.
Viability of the Plague Bacillus
would seem that the bacillus OF plagu
Il
:. as the cholera spirillum, still loses i
virulence by drying, and that to reta
D" it's virulence it requires the action
to both heat and moisture. The presen
No of organic matter, animal or veg
- table, and in a state of decompositlo
would seem to furnish the most favo
LOT able indus for its growth, which W
YES account for it's more or less prolo1g
lon existence in Oriental countries and I
a comparative rarity of its appearan
N' in Europe since the existence OF mo
Az ern and improved hygienic conditicI
The This does not mean, however, as W
,rs' maintained by some at the Venice CO
ference. that filth and crowding a
alone responsible for the disease. t
err malady is pre-eminently of bacter
origin, and wherever the microbe
found. there the plague is likely to
velop.
The length of it's life when expos
IN to favorable conditions outside of
Us human body has an important bearl
upon the quarantine measures nee
sary to be enforced, particularly W
regard to merchandise from an infe
ed port.
The following report of experime
on the viability of the plague bacil
% has been published by S. l.. RappopC
~ St. Petersburg. The material II
was allowed to soak in bouillon
lures of bacillus pests in dark cl
ct for twenty-four hours, then expo
Tar for successive days to all the sunll
luI obtainable, or to dry heat.
|lUI TEMPERATURE AND TIME
QUIRED TO KILL.
90 deg. c. sc deg.
Material (6S deg. F. (96.S deg.
Silk thread . 1924 days Ii days
Nnta Daper 1917 DAYS D days