The times., 1901-04-03
THE PLAGUE AT SAN FRANCISCO
Surgeon General Nyman Makes n
Report on the situation.

2hrSeon GeneraI W ym3u Wakes .,
Report the situation.
Surgeon General Wyman. of the Marine
Hospital Service, yesterday made public
the result Of the recent investigation into
/ the plague situation at San Francisco
| The report states that since January
of this year there have been ten eases of
plague there. all fatal, the deaths oc-
curing as follows: One on January G.
two on January 10, and one each on Feb
ruary 5. 6. 7. 10. H. L, and March ,
AS had been previously reported in Seere-
tary Cages last annual report to Congress
there were thirty-two deaths from plague
in San Francisco during 1900. making in
all forty-two cases since the first one was
discovered, on March s, 1860 The recent
investigation was made by a scientific
commission appointed by Secretary Gage.
consisting of Prof. Simon Flexner, of the
University of Pennsylvania, chairman
Prof f. G. Novy. of the University OF
Michigan. and Prof. l.. 5. Barker, of the
University of Chicago.
The commission was appointed at the
instance of the California State author
tiles and the business men of San Fran
cisco, who were not satisfied with the
findings of DR.. Kinyoun. representative
of the Marine Hospital Service at san
Francisco. Many were of the opinion
that kinyoun had erred in his diagnosis
of the cases in question and they were
opposed to the methods he had employed
to prevent the spread of the malady. Sew
eral times DR.. Kinyoun had quarantined
the city, resulting in considerable loss 70
the commercial interests. Feeling ran
at high pitch against him and great pres
sure was brought to bear upon the Treas
ury Department to remove him. The
Secretary declined to do this, but after
much persuasion he did agree to have
the matter investigated by an independ-
eDt scientific commission composed OF
men of high professional standing not
connected with the Marine Hospital Serv-
ice or the Treasury Department in any
way. Discussing the report of the COM
mission the Surgeon General says:
while the correctness of the diagnosis
has never been doubted by the Bureau of
the Department, it was deemed advisable
to summon an independent board of ex-
perts. On completion of their labors the
results of their investigation were imme
diately communicated by them to the
Governor of California and the mayor and
representative of the business interests
of San Francisco. Coincidently with the
receipt of the report of the commission
at the bureau, a committee representing
the business interests of San Francisco
and the mayor and the Governor of Cali
fornia arrived in Washington, and con-
ference was held between this committee
and the Secretary of the Treasury and the
Surgeon General of the Marine Hospital
Service, in which conference all the facts
were discussed and written agreement
made for harmonious action in suppress
sive measures under the advice of Sur
geon j. H White, who is on the grounds
ION the return of this committee to
San Francisco, Surgeon White wired, on
March y, that they had agreed to raise
funds for immediate work as follows:
Disinfect all infected houses, provide hos
pita for suspects, detention houses, and
morgue. The general disinfection of China
town, with betterment of light and air
space. Subsequent kilograms show that
the work is being organized.
"The disease has been confined almost
exclusively TO the Chinese and an exami-
nation of the mortuary records of the
latter for the last four years shows that
there has been no time during that pc
riod when it has increased to such an ex-
tent as TO in itself cause alarm.
The prevailing type so far as known
is of the bubonic form which, according
to NJ. de Brun, is of a mildly contagious
character but il is undetermined how
soon these cases may give rise to cases
of a graver and more contagious form.
which emphasizes the necessity of prompt
and thorough measures to eradicate every
form of the disease
The steady onward march of bubonic
plague into ports of the world where it
never existed before and where experts
believed it could not thrive has been
noted in nearly every weekly issue of the
Public Health Bulletin of the last two
years. News has come within the last
day or two that plague has at last in
vaded Australia. 1t was introduced there
from South Africa, according to official
reports to the German Government sub
sequently transmitted to Washington.
One fatal case of the disease has ap-
peared at sydney, New South Wales, on
a ship that went there for the purpose of
embarking fresh Australian troops for
the British army in South Africa
Two cases also occurred near Brisbane.
Plague continues to spread in Cape Col
ony, South Africa. In Bombay, India, the
natural habitat of bubonic plague germs
there We're S97 deaths from the disease
in the week ended February 49, There is
now only one territory of large extent in
the world that has not been visited by
the disease, and that is the eastern side
of the North American continent