The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-02
LATEST ABOUT THE PLAGUE
THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES A CIR
CULAR.
A History of the Disease, with All that
Science Has So Far Discovered about


The Bubonic Plague" is the subject
of about the first public document is
sued in 1900 by the Treasury Depart
ment at Washington. 1t is by super
vising Surgeon-General Walter Wyman
of the Marine Hospital Service ana con-
J tains great deal of valuable and in
/ teresting information about the pest
| The history of the epidemic in ali cour-
| tries, is up to recent enough to date
to even include the outbreak in Homo
lulu.
The appearance of plague in Santos,
! Brazil, is stated to mark an important
epoch in plague literature, as furnish
ing the very first recorded instance of
the disease in the Western Hemisphere
AS to Honolulu, DIR. Wyman simply
says that as the plague is in the Chi
nese quarter and vigorous measures
are being taken to repress il. 1T is to
be hoped that a general spread will be
averted."
The following extracts from the gov
eminent report give the latest discov-
cries of science regarding the periods
OF infection, manner of communicating
the disease, cure, mortality etc.
I'm varying period of from twelve
hours to twelve days usually within
four days after exposure the disease
makes its appearance in the individual
Simond cites observations made in a
detention camp in the Kerachee dis
trict, in which 1876 persons were con-
fined. The highest number of cases (22)
appeared on the third day, the LAST
case on the eleventh day.
The death rate in different epidemics
has been estimated at from SO to
80 per cent. 1t varies, however, APP
parently according to the nationalities.
From the official reports of the epide-
mic in Hongkong in 1894 the following
shows the death rate of the several ma
tionalities named Chinese 1914 per
cent; Indians, Il; Japanese, co. Eura-
slams, 100; Europeans, 1872. The small
percentage of deaths among the Euro
peanS is attributed to the European
blood and stamina and to early treat
ment and conditions and confidence i'm
the European medical attendant.
1T would seem that the bacillus of
plague to retain it's viruence requires
both heat and moisture. It's resisting
power to chemical disinfectants is
feeble, succumbing shortly in a one per
cent solution of carbolic acid or lime
water. 1t dies in four days If kept at
a dry heat of 1400 f, or in half an hour
If kept at a heat of 176 and in a few
minutes If subjected TO temperature
of 2l2. AS demonstrated in the hygie-
nic laboratory of the U. S. Marine Hos
pital service, it is easily destroyed by
all of the ordinary disinfectants. On
the other hand it develops easily in
many culture-media at the ordinary
temperature. Reports of experiments
at St. Petersburg showing time requir-
ed to kill the bacillus under various
circumstances gave the following re-
suits: At 6S0F, in silk thread 10 to "a
days, note paper 10 to II days, filter
paper 10 to "a days, linen thread to II
days, wooden thread 13 to 20 days; at
9C.So F, the longest period was 10 days;
at 40, rs minutes and at 176, Is minutes
was enough in all cases.
! THE report Of the German plague
commission says: The longest time that
infected material remained active was
eight days. Sputum from patients Of
fected with the pneumonia form was
kept in a vessel plugged with cottor
wool, was no longer virulent in 16 days.
In ordinary drinking water the bacilli
Gle in days, In sterilized water in g
days. In direct sunlight the bacilli di"
in three to four hours. The bacilli are
Killed by drying at ordinary room tenn
perature in four days
THE advice of Kitasito that the pa
tient should be kept isolated one month
after apparentrecoVery is significant.
Patients apparently recovered from
cholera may carry the germs of the
disease variable time, in one record
ed instance 16S days.
For the cure of plague there is at
present but one accredited remedy, viz
the antitoXic serum of Yersin and ROuV
The Haffkine prophylactic should not
be used if the person has been definitely
!, exposed to the plague or is thought to
be in the incubative period, for if ne
is already infected, the Haffkne in
lection may produce fatal results
Therefore the Haffkine material should
only be used as preventive on per-
sons before their exposure, while the
Yersin treatment may be used either
tbefore or after exposure or while the
person is suffering with the disease"
DR.. Wyman states that the present
epidemic of plague in many parts of the
world began in 1893 in Tonkn and
HongkOng. Through various channels
OF travel it has spread and resulted in
an epidemic outbreak which in Bombay
Presidency has caused 220,9O7 cases,
with the enormous mortality of 1874 0S3;
in Hongkong 1000 cases with approx
mately 500 deaths; Formosa, 2,46S cases
and 1866 deaths.
THE disease furnishes a striking il
lustration of the scientific advance of
modern medicine" says Dr. Wyman.
1T was not until 1894 that true know
ledge of its nature became known. Now
its cause, method Of propagation and
the means to prevent its spread are
matters of scientific certainty. All
through the centuries, before and after
the Christian era, down to 1894, the sub
Ject has been enVeloped in darkness,
and there has been the same cropping
after facts, the same unsuccessful
search for the true cause the same
struggle in Ignorance against it's raVa-
ges on the part Of physicians and pub
lie officials as has marked the history of
that other great epidemic disease. cho-
lera, now likewise robbed of its terror
by science.
1T is to the immortal Pasteur and
his contemporary Koch that credit is
due for the possibility of this discovery
and to a Japanese physician. DR.. Kita-
sito, student in the laboratory of Koch
and Yersin, pupil of the Pasteur In
stitute, We are indebted for the dis
covery. itself"
Copies Of the publication by the Gov
eminent We're sent to DIR. Carmichael
on the S. S. China In addition to the
foregoing it contains much that will be