The Washington bee., 1908-10-03
BUBONIC PLAGUE
KILLS MILLIONS
lndo Chinese Strain Possesses
a Much Greater Power
of Diffusion
ALMOST WHOLE WORLD VISITED
After Small Beginnings in 1891 More
Than 1000, 900 Died in India in
10O4-It Has Established Itself
In Defiance of Measures.

in Defiance of Measures.
Washington, D. C.-Surgeon Gen
eraI W1cken OF the Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service has is
sued in pamphlet form a paper pre-
pared by Assistant Surgeon General
J. NJ. Eager, giving a history Of the
bubonic plague during the last four
teen years. No study presents more
important and difficult sanitary prob
lens DR.. Eager says than the lines of
march taken by the bubonic plague
in its advance from the remote en-
demic focus of the disease in the
province OF Yunan. Gilman, to the
numerous countries in all quarters
or the globe, where in many in
' stances It has established itself in
defiance of the most carefully plan
ned preventive measures.
The revival of the plague, Or.
Eager says dates from 1894, when
escaping from the western Chinese
province of Yunnan, it reached Can
ton. It appears TO be established
that there are two distinct strains
OF plague. differing in the location
of their permanent homes and in
their facility for spreading outside
them. The strain lodged in Western
Asia does not possess the same power
OF diffusion as the IndO-Chiuese
strain" 1t as the latter variety
which, escaping from its centre in
Yunnan. gave rise to the present
pandemic. From 1879 to 1904 not
a single year passed without the
appearance of plague in the neigh
boThOOd distant from endemic plague
centres. Between the months of
March and August, 1894, the num-
Der OF deaths from plague in Canton
is estimated at 10000. All classes
among the native population suf
fered and rats were found to be af
Tected. but in the foreign quarter
OF Canton, with a population OF
about 300, not a single case occurred.
During the next year cases of
plague were reported in Hong Kong,
Annoy, Macao, and FOOchOO, and in
4 1896 sanitary attention throughout
the world was focused on the threat
ening epidemic by its appearance in
Bombay Starting in August the dis
ease spread throughout the whole
vast territory of the Bombay presi-
dency, and before the end of the year
showed a total of 1850 cases and
2,2SS deaths. During that year
plague Teappeared in Hong Kong,
where it has been epidemic ever
since. In 1897 the number of cases
in India was more than $4,000, with
more than 5000 deaths. In China
there were eptdemics in Annoy and
SwatOw. with many deaths in other
sections of the empire, and in the fol
lowing year there were more than
10000 cases in India, with a NOR
tality of i117O0O. In 1897 an inter
$natiOnsI plague conference was held
IN Venice, Italy. and in the year fol-
lowing others we're held in AleXan-
dria and Constantinople Through re
Igious prejudice efforts to stem the
tide were only partly successful.
In 1900 plague was present in ev-
cry quarter Of the world, the deaths
in India alone amounting to $4,000
during the year. The Philippine
Islands were included in the march
OF the disease, $50 deaths occurring in
Manila
The most notable fact in the his
= tory OF the plague in the western
world was the appearace of % cases
in San Francisco. In 1891 in India
a great augmentation took place,
until in 1904 plague caused the
death of more than 100000 persons
IN India alone, and epidemic prevail
ed to a greater or less degree in near
Iy ali parts OF the world
India, the great centre. suffered
terribly in the year 1905, but in the
year 1906 there was a great decrease,
the number of deaths being about
$4,000, but again in 1907 there was
q great increase, the deaths number
1 ing 100000. For nine years. Dr.
I Eager says, Hawaii in 1907 had not
/ been free from plague, but the Phil
ippines now seem to be clear, Dur
ing the year 1907 156 cases of
plague with, with 76 deaths, occur
red in san Francisco. There were
also q few cases in Oakland and
close neighbors of San Francisco.
In Seattle the report says. three fatal
cases occurred last October.