The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-08-05
PLAGUE kT lis DOORS
Manila In Constant Dahger OF
Diseases From China.
ITS CITIES REBK WITH INFECTION.

the American authorities at Manila for
years TO come will be the prevention
of the spread Of pestilence. says a spe.
cial dispatch from Washington TO the
Chicago Evening Post. Standing ut
the open door OF China. the plague
center OF the orient, with communica-
tlon by all kinds Of small craft, the in.
PRODUCTION OF cholera and bubonlc
plague In the Philippines cannot be
prevented. The most that can be ex-
pected OF the rigorous methods EN-.
ployed by quarantine officials of the
archipelago is that they win keep
down the ravages Of these dread dis
eases.
IL communication could be restricted
20 Hongkong. much Of the danger
would he ayerted because Of the alert
ness OF the English authorities in that
great port, but while they are EN-.
ploying every appliance known to sci
ence TO prevent the spread Of plague
and cholera Canton. Fntshan. Honam,
Kit Yang and other populous cities Of
Kwangtung province are reeklng storm
centers of infection. The Chinese au-
thorities are npathetlc. and even II
they tried they would be unable TO
enforce even the simplest rules of
health.
Recent reports by Consul Robert NJ.
McWade OF Canton give graphic de-
tails of the frightful condition OF af-
fairs. The Chinese, with fatalistlc un-
concern, pursue their daily vocations in
the midst OF dying and dead and even
Invent, with characteristic shrewd-
ness, means of prontlng from the pes
thence that surrounds them. Their
wits are trained to circumvent all
health regulations. They drink poison.
Gus water, eat infected food, breathe
germ laden air and when overtaken
die with stoicism worthy OF n better
cause.
IL away from his ancestral home
when the plague overtakes him. the
Chinaman's friends employ every arti.
fee to send his body back to be min
gled with the ashes of his fathers
That whole city may be contaminat.
ed in this shipment of n plague corpse
Is no concern of theirs. This shipment
OF bodies, of course. is prohibited, even
by the Chinese authorities, but they
are continually discovering ingenious
methods of evading the law. A Chi
nese whose home was In Kwangtung
province died of the plague at Hong
kong. One OF the customs officials at
Canton was examining the freight of
the steamer Powan, from Hongkong,
and had occasion to open n barrel.
(which. according to its invoice, was
alleged to contain ninety cattle of
sharks fins. n Chinese delicacy. When
the lid of the barrel was removed, two
human feet protruded, and an exam
ination disclosed that the barrel con-
tained the body Of n Chlnaman who
had died of plague In Hongkong."
The bubonic plague at Canton and
Mt Shameen. which is divided from
Canton only by narrow, filth laden
creek. is OF n much more malignant
type than that which appeared in for
mer years. The bubo. or swelling. In
stead OF remaining In the armpit or
groin. appears on any part OF the
body and, suddenly disappearing, re-
appears In another part. Victims are
found dying In the streets, so sudden
Is the attack. At Fatshan both cholera
and plague are epidemic. Consul Nc.
Wade. apparently despairing of his
ability TO describe conditions, says
ut is one OF the dirtiest cities In south
China. and the filth OF its streets is
proverblal."
The trials of n missionary I'm China
are not all because OF the Boxers. Rev.
O. A. Nelson, who is stationed at Can
ton, reported this little incident TO
Consul MeWade:
"a few days ago Mrs Nelson went
by boat into the Lungshun canal,
and divides Wongsha from the sub
, urb. Shortly after entering the canal
she saw a dead rat floating and next
dead pig. A few moments after.
ward a dead babe came floating along
and Joined the pig and rat, and to-
gether they hoated into the Pearl
river"
: Another missionary, Rev. Jacob
Speicher. at Kityang, exemplifies the
, virtues OF Christian forbearance under
trying conditions.
1--WE are having at present" he
writes, "a very bad epidemic OF
the plague at Kityang, and 1t is
almost a daily occurrence that dy
ing persons and dead bodies are de
) posted directly in front OF the entrance
to our mission compound"
His excellency Tao Mu. viceroy OF
the two Krangs, ordered this practice
stopped. Rev. Andrew Beattie reports
that both plague and cholera are epi
demic at Taileung. In the Shuntah
district. and that hundreds have died
in the district city OF Tsangshing.
$50 great has been the mortality,
reports Consul McWade, that coffint
have TO be ordered from the Villages
J In the neighborhood. The demand 70
cotfins has become so great In SOM
places and the price so high that tn,
raoIiaa who rorrv tho cOfinS IN fhl