The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-23

Surgeon General George NJ. Sternberg
gave an illustrated lecture last night at
CASTOR Hall, Georgetown College. the sub
ject being THE History and Etiology OF
the Bubonc Plague" The lecture was the
| first of the Toner series Many distin-
gushed guests were present. including Of
fcers of the Army and Navy. accompanied
by their wives and daughters, and many
prominent members of the medical fra
ternity.
! The large hall was completely filed when
! the lecturer commenced. General Stern
berg said that he believed the subject. the
! bubonic plague. merited the attention of
| everyone at this time. nor should the study
| of its history and etiology be confined to
| scientific circles
| This dread disease . he said mas effected
a lodgment in Portugal and in Brazil dur
ing the past year. and at least one vessel
has arrived at the port of New York with
plague cases on board. from the last-men-
toned country The question is, therefore.
a very practical one as to whether there
! is any real danger of the introduction and
extension of this Destilential malady of
Eastern countries into our own territory.
The history of bubonic plague extends
far back Greek physicians of the second
and third centuries. before the Christian
era. left record of a pestilential malady
characterized by the formation of buboes
which prevailed in Libya in Egypt and in
Syria. and two Alexandrian physicians
Doscorides and Poserdonios. who were
contemporaries of Chrst-have given a
init pf Ea yph oh IN
doubt as to its identity with the plague of
more recent times. 1t may be well to ex-
plain at this point that the buboes charac-
| teristic of the disease are enlarged and in
famed glands in the groins, in the arm
pits, and elsewhere, which in chronic cases
may suppurate and discharge a virulent
pus. by which the disease is propagated
We now know that the germ of the disease
is found not only In these suppurating bu-
boes, but also in the blood of an infected
individual.
Three forms of the disease. said the
speaker, ARE recognized by modern au-
thors. A mild or abortive form. in which
there is little pain ortfever, and in which
the buboes rarely sdppurate. In this form
the enlarged glands IN the groin, armpit,
and neck usually disappear in about two
weeks. In its usual form the disease is
ushered in with chilly sensations. fever.
ldSSlluue, anu IN the Dach ana
limbs. The buboes are quickly developed
and generally the symptoms soon assume a
grave character II the patient lives for
a week or more the buboes usually sup
purate and carbuncies and bois are often
developed. In the third or fuimnant form
of the disease death may occur within
few hours from the outset OF the attack.
and in advance Of the development of
the characteristic buboes These cases
pGttI1 aaIx he roo .ya1
for the fact that they occur during the
epidemic prevalence Of the disease among
persons who have been exposed to infec-
ton
General Sternherg then reviewed the
history of the bubOnlc plagu; from the
first century of the Christian era to the
present time. In the sixth century," he
said, Its ravages were greatly extended.
and it prevailed as a devastating epidemic
in many parts of the Roman Empire. The
origin OF this extensive epidemic. which
ragged for more than half a century. APP
pears to have bsen in lever Egypt in the
year 542: thence it extended in one di-
rection along the north coast OF Africa.
and in the other into Palestine and Syria.
The following year it invaded Europe
which at that time was in a state of po-
litical disturbance and warfare and dur
ing this and subsequent years devastated
many sections of the country. depopulat-
ing towns and leaving the country, in some
instances. nothing more than desert in
habited by wild beasts.
The accounts of the pest during the
Middle Ages are meagre and unsatisfactory
but 1t is clearly ascertained that in 1888
it extended TO the interior of France and
Italy. and also to England Holland. and
the Scandinavian Peninsula. The follow
ing year it completed the invasion of Eu-
rope.
The disease first appeared in London in
November. 13i8. and 1t continued to prevail
in various parts of England. for a period Of
eight or nine years. In 1852 the epidemic
prevailed in the city OF Oxford to such an
extent that the town lest two-thirds of its
academic population. The plague again
invaded England in 1851 and 1883. As a
result OF these devastating epidemics IN
England as well as in other pats Of Eu-
rope, large parts of the country remained
for time uncultivated. and owing to the
lack OF laborers there was a great increase
in wages"
General Sternberg then gave an extend
ed history OF the plague from the Middle
Ages to the present day. recitinS its period
ical risitstions in different parts of Eu-
rope and Asia. and showing the frightful
devastation il has wrought in the mortality
of the world.
During the past two or three years.
continued General Sternberg. "a number OF |
prominent psychologists have been en- |
gagged in researches relating to- the pre- |
venticn and cure OF bubonic plague By |
means of an antitoxic serum, obtained by |
the same method and in accordance with |
the same fundamental scientific principle |
as in the case of the antitoXic serum which |
is now so successfully employed in the |
treatment of diphtheria. The experiments |
thus far have been remarkably successful. |
1t is reported from the Pasteur Institute. |
in Paris that the serum treatment has |
there proved complete success
General Sternberg then described the i'm |
mense influence rats. flies. and. in fact. |
vermir and insects of all descriptions has |
in furthering the disease. The plague In |
Honolulu" he said, sis being well guarded
and contagon in this country is, at the |
worst, remote contingency"
In conclusion series of very interesting |
stereopticCn pictures were shown upon
the screen, the first set illustrative OF
the manner in which the plague was treat
ed in the Olden time. when a certain class
were suspected of spreading the disease /
by witchcraft or poison and executed on |
the mere suspicion with frightful bar
barity. The latter set of views illustrated |
the Improvement in treatment which this !
age has made, especially with regard 10
the discoveries, for the most part by Dr.
Edward Koch. Of Berlin, of the germs of
various diseases. Among others was
Shown photograph, enlarged $4,000 times.
OF the bacilli of typhoid fever General |
Sternberg said that It was somewhat as |
tonishing that people SHOULD be taking |
fright at the bubonic plague in Honolulu |
with such a terrible disease r their very
door. 1T is. moreover said lie lecturer. |
"a disease which could easily be entirely
eXterminated by the exercise of proper |
sanitary measures. such as providing pure