The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-25
HORRORS OF PLAGUE
THE FANTASY OF THE ORIENT
AIS HELP sCOURGE.
Describes Ravages of Dis
ease and Crude Superstitions
Brought Out to Combat It.

Oriental fantasy that evolves weird
cures in the face Of the mystery Of
sickness, holiday migration and sheer
Ignorance are given as causes for the
spread of the plague In China by
Rev. Charles A.. Leonard Baptist
missionary Of Louisville, KY, with
headquarters at Laichow Flu, China,
in a letter which he has written to
friends here. sga :.aie. ~
Mr.. Leonard's letter, posted Feb
ruary 8, at the height of the plaques
spread throughout Manchuria and
northern China, reviews the progress
of the deadly disease, then sets forth
proclamation by Chinese official
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, boil
turnip juice and any kind of creep
ing bean vine. It is recommended
that all the family, large and small,
drink it when it is warm. Thus the
plague will be avoided"
Here is rule No. 3 of the oficlal
list of preventives:
"Take one piece of horse bone,
wrap it in red cloth, put in small bag
and wear it on the side Of the body,
men on the left and women on the
right Has alc
It is to be supposed from the tone
of receipt No. S that the plague has
no chance at all. 1t follows:
"Use of tile 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 1850, the plague devil was
driven out by thunder pills into hid
ing in Kiangsu and Ch0w-Fu, dur
ing the Chu Pu's magistracy. All
who gave the prescription we're able
to avoid the plague and those who
lived by it were beyond numbering. I
Mr.. 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 unprepareu,
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 rescrted
to as 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 thai
danger to Occidentals has been re-
duced to minimum.
Mr.. Leonard in his letter says that
the plague began it's ravages in north
western Manchuria. The germs took
up their abode IL the EUR of small
animal, much like the marmot. the
disease was passed on to the Chinese
and Russians. Just at this stage of
it's development there came the ex-
tensive travelling from working place
to him, incident to the Chinese new
year, and by this means the plague
spread with remarkable celebrity.
The letter describes deplorable
conditions. It tells Of hundreds of
corpses piled in indescribable con-
fusion in innumerable towns and
cities. The plaques deadliness is ap-
parently pictured in the statement
that all hospitals were quarantined
against it.