The Washington times., 1901-07-07

Nllt ClldtdCteTlStic uncertainty OF the us
ease asserted itself by it's appearance in
1895, in epidemic form. in Tonkin and
Hongkong. and within a short time af-
terward in Bombay, Kurrachee. and
Poonah, in British India
1t was deemed necessary, in 1872. by the
Chinese Government. to increase and
maintain the garrisons on the Manchurian
! frontier. Frequent and intimate inter
course between Lenytchen and Yum Nan
converted the region into an epidemic
focus of the disease, especially as the
transportation of stores and materials
was done by mule caravans. The time
occupied in these trips was six days. The
disease made it's appearance in Lony-
tchen, and assumed epidemic proportions
| being conveyed by means of the crews
and passengers Of trading junks to Can
ton and Hongkong. where It appeared in
epidemic form the following year.
Plague was introduced into &ieu-Chwang
in July, 1899. through arrivals from more
southern districts, probably with ambu-
| liant types of the disease, which infected
their surroundings and the soil and set
up an epidemic whose manifestations
were preceded by very large mortality
among the domestic animals. as rats,
dogs. and cattle.
II - wen hiDHH Ail4A liOLl AAAAt- W AAAiAN
ships of the Peninsular and Oriental Line
have brought cases Of plague from Bonn
bay to Plymouth. but there is no record
of the spread of the disease. It Is thought
possible that, owing to the lack of quar-
antine restrictions in the British Isles,
cases of the ambulant type have escaped
observation, and passengers and crew
from some of these ships have occasioned
the infection of others.
THE SANTOS CASE.
The appearance of the plague in Santos,
Brazil. in October, 1899. marks an impor-
tant epoch in plague literature. as fur
nishing the very first recorded instances Of
its occurrence in the Western Hemisphere.
There is also considerable difference Of
opinion as to the origin of this outbreak.
1t is usually attributed to a ship. which.
arriving from the infected port of Oporto.
lay alongside the dock in Santos. Within
a short time there was an extensive NOR
tality among rats, followed by the appear
ance of cases among human beings. 1t
is recorded that in the months Of July and
September before. there was an unexplain-
ed mortality among rats From Santos
the disease extended to Sac Psulo, a hill
resort in the neighborhood, the first case
occurring in the child of switchman of
the railroad connecting the two places.
The employe in question lived in a cabin
beside the tracks. On the 18th Of Novem-
Der, 1893 the British steamship J. w. Tay-
lor, from Santos, arrived at the quaran-
tine station of the port of New York. with
two cases Of bUbonic plague on board,
and having lost one man at sea from the
same disease Prompt measures were
taken. and fortunately no spread Of the
disease occurred.
Experience in other parts Of the world
leads to the belief that even were the
disease to be introduced here. its spread
would be very limited in those cities
where the sanitary conditions are good
and where precautions as TO the isola-
tion of patients could be practiced. Cases
in Vienna, resulting from accidental in
oculation of men studying the disease in
one of the laboratories. were easily con-
trolled The same may be recorded Of
a case introduced into Trieste, Austria.
No spread OF the disease followed. With
the rigid application Of sanitary science
it seems extremely doubtful if the plague
will ever secure a dangerous foothOld in
the United States, although frequent
"scares, like the present one, are likely
TREATING THE PLAGUE.
This disease furnishes striking Illus
tration of the advance Of modern medi
cine. Not until 1894 did positive knowl-
edge of its true nature become known.
Now its cause, its method of propaga-
ton, and the means TO prevent its spread
are matters of scientific certainty. 1t is
TO Pasteur and his contemporary, Koch,
in their establishment of bacteriology as
a science, that credit is due for the posi-
bility of this discovery, and to japanese
physician, DIR. Kitasato a student in the
laboratory of Koch and Yersin, and a pu-
pn of the Pasteur Institute, that we are
indebted for the discovery itself. When.
in 1894, the plague was epidemic in Hong
kong, with hundreds dying daily, great
apprehension existed on the part of Ja-
pan, and, accordingly Drs. Kitasato and
Aoyama, with assistants, We're commits
stoned by the Japanese Government to
visit HOngkong and there study the dis
ease, the former to make bacterioi0sicaI
investigation and the latter to report upon
its clinical and pathological characters
tics. The report of Kftasato announcing
the discovery of the plague bacillus was
published by the University of Tokyo.
The death rate from the plague varies
from different epidemics. and is es-
timated at from 80 to 90 per cent. 1t va
4AC9f iItHtNtAF apparently dCCuIuluS TO
nationalities. From the official reports
of the epidemic in Hongl1ong in 1891 the
death rate of the several nationalfties
was as follows: Chinese, 93.4 per cent;
Indians, II; Japanese, 60; Eurasians, 100;
Europeans, 1S.2 The small relative per
centage of deaths among Europeans is
attributed to the European blood and
stamina, and to their early treatment.
and to confidence in the European medical
attendants.
An interesting suggestion as to the
cause OF the prevalence of this disease
among the Indians and Chinese is offer
ed by DIR. Charles w Dabney, jr, former
ly Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. to
the effect that it may be because these
people are so badly fed, living chiefly on
rice and other grains. which contain very
little protein As compared with wheat
oats. Indian corn. and rye. by the protein
standard, rice is poor food. Additional
credenCe may be given to this theory from
the fact that plague 50 often accompanies
famine.