The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-24
SUPERST|T|ON|S . SPREADING PLAGUE Chinese Believe in Weird and Fantastic Remidies THUNDER PILL" USED Missionary Whose Home Is in LOuis- vile Writes of Seriousness of
 Terrible Plague-Ameri-
 cans in Danger

Louisville, March 23.-Oriental fantasy that evolves weird remedies in the face of the mystery of sickness, holiday migra tion and sheer ignorance are given as causes for the spread of the plague in China by Rev. Charles A. Leonard, a Baptist missionary of Louisville. with headquarters at Laichow Flu, China, in a here?
 MT. Leonards letter, posted February at the height of the plague's spread throughout Manchuria and north China reviews the progress of the deadly dis ease. then sets forth proclamation by a Chinese official in which Is contained im- peral advice for the baking of the mal- adv
 Here is one of the choice recipes for that part of the Orient.
 After the opening of spring, boil tur- nip juice and any kind of creeping bean vine. It is recommended that all the fam fly, large and small, drink it when it is warm. Thus the plague will be avoided" !"
 Here is Rule No. 3, of the official list of preventatives:
 Take one piece of horse bone, wrap it in red cloth, put in a small bag and wear on the side of the body, men on the left and women on the right" Thunder Pill' Very Effective
 It is to be supposed from the tone of Recipe No. that the plague has no chance at all, as follows:
 Use of the thunder pill Ingredients : Take rhubarb, gold leaf flakes, cnnibar and alum in about equal quantities, all ground fine and made into pills. Take with water. Dose, one-fifth of an ounce."
 During the reign of Kein Lung Ohis was in 175O the plague devil was driven by thunder pill into hiding in I<iangsu Ch' and Chow Flu during the Flu Pus magis- tracy. All who gave the prescription were able to avoid the plague and those who lived by it were beyond numbering.
 Here is one of the Oriental ideas of black eye for the plague that sounds bit Occidental:
 'Seventh-Red sulphur ground fine, mix with water and profusely spread in the nostrils of the patient will also prevent the spread of the infection. This is a wolderfE remedy.'
 Mir. Leonard mentions these recipes, among others. apparently in his declara ton that "officials are bound down by heathen religion, superstition and GUS toms until they are wholly unprepared. spiritually and intellectually to cope with such crisis as is now on.
 Americans in Peril
 MT. Leonards assertion of the serious ness of the plague and the pitifully in adequate measures resorted to as a. means of checking 1t, might be taken to indicate peril to Europeans and Ameri- cans stationed in north China and Man chliria. The missionary goes on to tell, however, that all missions which are surrounded by walls have set up a rig orous quarantine and that danger to Oc eidentals has been reduced to a mini mum.
 MT. Leonard was graduated last year from the Southern Baptist Theological seminary of Louisville. He is originally from Statesville, N. c. Just before he went to China last autumn he married Miss Evelyn Corbet of Shreveport, La.
 MT. Leonard. in his letter, says that the plague had it's beginning in north western Manchuria. The germs took up their abode in the fur of small animal much like the mermot. The disease was passed on to the Chinese and Russians. Just at this stage of its development there came the extensive travelling from working place to home, incident to the Chinese New Year, and by this means the plague spread with remarkable celer- ity
 The letter describes dcplorable condi- tions. It tells of hundreds of corpses piled in indescribable confusion in in- numerable towns and cities. The plague's Headlines Is aptly pictured in the state ment that all hospitals were quarantined against it.