The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-01-31

the attack OF plague germs and 10 men,
tralize their effect. The injection az
such poison has the effect of an anti
Toxin and prevents the system from
hourishing plague. a dead plague
germ being inocTlated into a person.
plague viii not follow. A personi after
having one attack OF the disease IL
rarely liable to second. The person
first inoculated is subject TO symptoms
OF the plague. In vaccination for small
poX a living germ is dealt with, where
as in plague incubation dead seed
only are injected
Experiments are now beinE carried
on at the laboratory al the Govern
ment House. Parel, Bombay. where
further discovery Is expected 10 per-
feet this plague preventive.
Strangely enough, incubation is ex-
ceedingly unpopular among the ma
tives. The Government has had great
labor In persuading the Hlndoo mind
of the efficacy OF Haffklne's prophylac-
tic against plague and at the same
time OF its utter harmlessness in ey-
cry other respect.
The Hindoo is suspicious that the
dead germs and their toxic excreta
may be OF animal rather than vege-
table substance, which would make the
Injection Of the fluid into their body
religious offense.
The measures generally relied upon
In the dry season were entire evacyi-
alton OF infected villages and ham
lets, isolation OF the sick. segregation
Of the contacts" and a thorough dis
infection Of all infected places. In To-
calities where the outbreak grew viru-
lent In the monsoon, evacuation was
impossible: but inoculation was extenl
sively tried and strikingly deuonstfs-
ted the protective power OF the
prophylactic.
At first the people failed utterly 20
understand the use OF segregation. To
the masses, infection and contagion
had no meaning Nothing but the
splendid confidence OF the people I'm
the British Government could have
made sanitary measures possible IN
the broadcast and rapid manner In
which II became necessary 20 use them
among unframed and uneducated mil
lions.
Owing TO the enormous population
of the city OF Bombay. and also to the
fact that many plagne cases are nup-
pressed, secreted, or returned under
fever or other causes, Il is impossible
to get general statistics OF the effects
OF Haffkine's plague m0culatioh. How
ever, | have a few returns from up
country places OF the results OF inocu-
lation.
At Kirkee. the plague broke out
among the Royal Artillery followers
They were living under far better
conditions than many villagers. and a
Gordon had been drawn around that
place. Six hundred and seventy-one
persons we're inoculated and $50 not
inoculated. Among those inoculated
there were 80 attacks and IL deaths.
giving a mortality OF zoe per cent:
while among the uninoculated there
were 143 attacks and 9S deaths, or a
mortality OF ia per cent.
At Belgium, among the men of the
Twenty-sixth Madras Infantry. after
all of the Sepoys had been inoculated.
there we're only two attacks, both OF
which recovered, whereas before the
inoculation there had been rs cases I'm
the regiment.
At Ganeshkhind. among the serv-
ants of the Governor OF Bombay. in a
certain quarter. there were 324 per-
sons inoculated and 300 uninoculated.
Fourteen cases OF plague occurred In
that quarter. and every one OF those
cases occurred among the 300 who were
not inoculated.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL and chemical analy-
ses of the atmosphere and ground air.
etc. are being made I'm these infected
places, results OF which may be OF ex-
treme interest and infinite use In the
future.
WILLIAM r. FEE.
United States Consul