The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-22

s s'l q then discovering some pnllIa-
has been achieved. The plague germ
has been discovered and iaoiated ana
q prophylactic has been produced which.
t by means q lnoGulntion, Offers every
attack, even if It does not absolIiteiv
guarantee immunity from the disease
20 those who suffer themselves to he
inocllated. ="
ment has met with IN obstacle that il
would appear to be wellnigh impos-
5lbic to surmount. The dwellers in
ihdia nave ~, for the most part. whether
OF inc many races and creeds that 90 to
make up the population OF the depend.
etncy. ne strongest possible aversion to
t theem ,,,he, ~ any shape or form and
themselves to be lnoctlated against the
disease is but trlhing. It will take
years Yea Of patient education on this SUBJ
general among the natives OF India. and ND
~ seems more reasonable to SUPPOSE
that this wholesale conversonf will
never take place.
N other directions. however, dis-
tinet progress has been made. In the
autumn OF 1905 the italian govern
ment established a. plague research
s sia Inn Is under UNI, the presidency Of
Service. and a notable anthority e upon
ne hiaease. BY dint of very careful
INQUIRY and many striking experi.
nents this committee has added great.
!, ii,n 10 the existing knowledge of the
greatest achievement Of the COMMITTEES
and the one that promises to have tho
m mos iareareachIng effect was the def
Was fi ome els , e. the theory that
means me s, of the transmission Of plague cue
was by rats, OF which India emphafi
CITY eaI.y possesses more than It's fair stIp-
in ,shed , ur.her than this. 1t was estab-
lisled that the rats themselves could
not no. convey the disease. but that Il
was the presence OF definitely locate
parasite. Rulex cheopis. that was real.
sco, ,rspohs rh for the spread of the
something of n revolution In the meth.
OBS hitherto adopted to combat iho
plague and, incidentally, It demon.
iii Is na .ns fact that the plague bac
insects breed 1t into the rats. who IN
1nelr turn, convey It to human beinps
. nh,s discovery, the importance ~
", mnign n, ~ is as yet too early to attempt
why 1t was that many of the stc,,s
Ia IKE TO grapple with plague In tbe
past had been apparently such corr nm
plcte failures '" COM
1t Is now an accented foa.
terlologlsts and other authorities "a In
ala, mat future efforts to stay the raw
ages OF the plague must first and fore.
Ihost De concentrated upon the extermi
h'ttlon OF the rats. What a gigantic
o e inignt almost write superhuman-
AS. .as.I THIS VIII be anyone who has the
stightest acquaintance with india viii
realize. Calcutta. Bombay. Poona md
lnue s every town and village from
n mort. 10 south and from cast to west
smarms with rats. which multiply ar nm
farming rate. Much may be done ~
course. IN the erection OF new buiIdi,.
70 see mat these are as at-proor q
! .,. SKIN and ingenuity can maks
.nefn. and this is something that Is he.
ans Impressed most carefully upon
ld spnn, local building authority in tho
II may be taken for granted too
,hat IN view OF the Kings letter and tho
denomination expressed by Mr.. John
h.oriey. Secretary OF State for India In
enc recently published dispatches ia
support and encourage by every means
~ ~ ms power any efforts that the In
o,hh government NAV deem II advis-
ape 10 put forward to fight the
plasie. that n systematic and sustain
ed effort to exterminate the rate will
be undertaken. though az has Just
been said. this Is a work that by It's
very maEnitude and seeming hopeless
ness might well daunt the stoutest
heart IT is not going TO be a work
tof year, nor possibly decade 10
lessen appreciablv the ravages Of
plague In India; but 1t seems certain
ina. .h We are at the moment on tho
thrcSholt' OF one of the most de-
| termined efforts In this direction that
have. ever been put forward. and 1t will
he the earnest hope OF tho whole civ
| ilZed world that this effort NAV meet
with sticcess.-London Telegraph.