The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-03-29
HORRORS OF PLAGUE
THE FANTASY OF THE ORIENT
AIS HELP sCOURGE.
Missionary Describes Ravages Of Dis
ease and Crude Superstftions
Brought Out to Combat It.

Oriental fantasy that evolves weire
cures in the face Of the mystery o.
sickness. holiday migration and shee1
! ignorance are given as causes for the
spread Of the plague In China b.
Rev. Charles A. Leonard, Baptist
missionary Of Louisville, KY. with
headquarters at Laichow Flu, China
In a letter which he has written tc
friends here.
Mr.. Leonard's letter, posted Feb
ruary 8. at the height OF the plaeue'f
spread throughout Manchuria and
northern China. reviews the progress
of the deadly disease, then sets forth
proclamation by Chinese oflcia
in which is contained imperial advice
for baking the malady.
Here is one Of the choice recipes
for avoiding lethal sickness at plague
time in that part of the Orient:
After the opening Of spring, boi'
turnip juice and any kind Of creep
ing bean vine. It is recommended
that all the family, large and small
drink it when is warm. Thus the
plague will be avoided"
Here is rule No. Of the otlcia,
list Of preventives:
Take one piece Of horse bone
wrap it IL red cloth. put in small bag
and wear it on the side OF the body
men on the left and women on the
right"
It is to be supposed from the tone
Of receipt No. that the plague has
no chance at all. 1t follows:
use of the thunder pill. Ingredt-
ents: Take rhubarb, gold leaf fakes
cinibar and alum in about equal
quantity, all ground fine and made
into pills. Take with water. Dose,
one-ffth of an ounce"
During the reign of Kien-Lun (this
was in 1880, the plague devil was
driven out by thunder pills into hid
ing in Kiangsu and Chow-Fu, dur
Ing the Chu Pu's magistracy. Al,
who gave the prescription were able
to avoid the plague and those who
lived by 1t were beyond numbering.
MI. Leonard mentions these re-
cipes, among others, apparently in
qualification Of his declaration that
Officials are bound down by heather
religion, superstititions and customs
until they are wholly unprepaTeu.
spiritually and intellectually, to cope
with such crisis as is now on.
Mr.. Leonard's assertion Of The
seriousness of the plague and the pit
fully inadequate measures resorted
to as a means Of checking it might be
taken to indicate danger to Euro
peans and Americans in north China
and Manchuria. The missionary goes
on to tell. however, that all missions
which are surrounded by walls have
set up rigorous quarantine and that
danger to Occidentals has been re-
duced to a minimum.
Mr.. Leonard in his letter says that
the plague began its ravages in north
western Manchuria. The germs took
up their abode in the fur Of small
animal, much like the marmot. The
disease was passed on to the Chinese
and Russians Just at this stage OF
its development there came the eG-
tensive travelling from working place
to him, incident to the Chinese new
year. and by this means the plague
spread with remarkable celerity.
The letter describes deplorable
conditions. It tells of hundreds OF
oorpses piled in indescribable con-
fusion in innumerable towns and
cities. The plaques deadliness Is ap-
parentIy pictured in the statement
that all hospitals were quarantlned
q ooincf ~