Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-11-08

! victims in MarScilcS and Provence.
At the close of the last century
the plague reached Egypt, South
eastern Europe. the region of the
Danube. Lower Austria and South
ern Russia. At the beginning OF
i the present century. it twice visited
ConSt;lntinoplc and spread to tn,
shores of the Adriatic. But from
lSl3 to the present day. with the ex-
ccptlon of Il slight outbreak in Rus
Sia III 1877, and its recent appear
ancc in Manila and San Francisco.
the great ScOurgc has been confined
to certain African and Asiatic coun-
| tries.
1t is certain that never again can
the plague create such ravayes in
Europe as it did in centuries past.
Modern sanitary science has made
such giant strides that the plague
could not now spread among Euor-
pcanS. in the way it has among
the liindooS and Chinese. Indeed
through their more hcalthful ways of
life, Europeans in infected districts
in India or China. have been less lia
BILE to an attack than natives,
1t was the difficulty of carrying
out sanitary and hygicnic rcgula-
tions during the epidemic in Bonn
bay that seriously hampcrcd the ef-
forts of the European doctors and
nurses in their attempts to stem the
disease. At first. every attempt at
sanitation n,. Snnrnrn i'm, -, pn,,b,x,
encountered resistance and aroused Il
hatred and distrust exceeding even
the terror of the plague itself. Street
tumults were frequent, crowds con-
stantly collected around the ambu-
lance vans, which were stoned. and
the officers of the Health Depart
ment We're often in danger of losing
their lives. The opposition grew in
violence until it eliminated in the
POOna murders.
But the aversion to the absolutely
necessary measures of isolation was
not the only difficulty which the re-
lieving staff had to encounter. As is
well established, the plague had II
strong partiality for small animals,
especially rodents. Whether the
plague was or was not brought by
ship-ratS from Chinese ports, medi-
cal observation Enthusiastically pointed
to the conclusion that the rats in
Bombay were widely infected by the
disease and were spreading it through
the city, but the Indian tenderness
for animal life gave rise to an uncx-
pected obstruction. Says the official
report:
All attempts to capture the rats
were iiercely opposed, and picking up a
few sick pigeons almost 'aisod riot.
believe that the hopeless condition Of
their own dark, damp, filthy. over
crowded houses was their real danger.
Every form of obstruction was resorted
to- when the municipality attempted to
deal with their dwellings. The tenants
refused to do anything, maintaining it
was the duty of the landlords. The land
lords were not to be found, and when
the municipal authorities attempted to
do the necessary work, they had To carry
it out in the face ot hostile and violent
crowds. Throughout, the Executive was
subjected to a perfect storm of threats,
abuse and protest from persons who
deemed themselves aygrieved by the
measures adopted to protect them.
Why not let us die of the plague. was
the cry, 'insteal of interfering with our
cuStoms?"
Gradually these feelings of OppOsi-
tiOn to sanitary restrictions have les
sened in Bombay and throughout a
great portion of India, for the people
have had frightful object lesson,
and have come to q partial under
standing that the English authorities
are really trying to help them, and
they have sccn the good results ef
that help. Light and air arc in Il
high degree unfavOrable to the devcl-
opment Of the plague.
In the open air it dries up and
withers, it loses its power of infec-
ton in six to eight days, and, gener-
ally speaking, experiments tend to
show that it is q shOrt-lived organ
ism, except under conditions special
ly adapted to its wants. The disease
is contagious, not infectious, and Is
believed to be conveyed either direct
ly from the suffers, or by their cloth
ing, or being brought into contact
with them or polluted by them. Ger
tain animals, as, for example, the
rats, are liable to the plague, and ap-
pear, from all accounts, to be active
agents in spreading it.
But the chief sources are cOntami-
mated clothes and bedding, in which
the bacillus preserves its virulenco
for q considerable period, and from
which it is not expelled by ordinary
fumigation. The evidence shows that
the sanitary authorities in India
have, on the whole, proceeded upon
right lines, and that the segregation
of patients, the destruction of their
apparel and bedding, the disinfect-
ing of their houses, the clearing out
of densely crowded quarters and an
ample supply of fresh air and pure
water, arc the conditions most help
full to keep the disease within control,
That the cause of the plague is q
specific microbe-the plague bacillus
was clearly shown during the Hong
Kong epidemic of 1894, by Drs, Kila-
sato and Yersin, and it's presence in
the lymphatic glands, or blood gem
orally, alone afforded incontroverti-
BILE proof of the nature of the disease.
Practically, there are two main varie-
ties of the plague. In the first, the
disease affects the Emphatic glands
(this is the bubonic type, and in the
second variety it affects the lungs
(this is the pneumonia type).
There is no absolute specific known
for the plague, according to all re-
ports, although good results have
been obtained from Professor Hatf-
hines preventive serum. The gen.
eral means so far adopted of fighting
the plague are sanitary precaution.
skilled nursing, suitable feeding and
the proper use of antipyretics, ano-
dyneS and StimulantS.
>0<
It's SO much easier for man to
make q woman happy during court.
ship than it is for him to make good
aftor ,narrioOa