Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-14
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE

II is a remarkable fact, confirmed by
many observations. that many physicians
who have devoted considerable labor to
the study of a particular disease, have
themselves died of that disease. one of
the most interesting examples is that of
John Daniel Major, born August Ii. 1884,
in Breslau, a physician and naturalist of
no mean ability. Bitten early By the
wandcrlust, he studied at Wittenburg,
took courses at many of the schools in
Germany, and finally went to Italy where
he received the degree of doctor of medi-
cine at Padua in 1869. Returning to his
own country. he resided for a short time
in Silesia, and in 1861 married at Witten
burg, Margaret Dorothy. a daughter of
the celebrated Scnuert, The following
year, his young wife was stricken with
plague and died after an illness of eisht
days. Distracted by his loss. Major wan
dered mp and down Europe studying
wherever he found it in the hope that he
might discover cure for the disease
which had hereaved him. Spain, Ger
many, France and Russia We're visited
by him. He settled in 1868 in kiel, where
he was made professor of botany and the
director of the botanical gardens. lie
made frequent voyages. however always
in quest of the remedy for plague. Finally
in 1893, he was called to Stockholm to
treat the queen Of Charles Nj then i'll
with the plague. But before he could rem
der her any service, he contracted the
disease and died on the third of August.
The hubonic plague of to-day is identi-
cal with the black death of the Made
ages. primarily a disease of rodents
caused by a short dumb-bell shaped
microscopic Vegeta BILE, the pest bacillus
it occurs in man in three forms; the
pneumonia, which has a death rate Of al
most 100 per cent. the septicaemic, winch
is nearly as fatal. and the bubonic in
which even with the most modern
methods of treatment the mortal
itv is about nifty per cent 1t
is disease of commerce. spreading
around the globe in the body of the ship
borne rat. 1t is estimated that every case
of hurnan plague costs the municipality
in which il occurs at least $500. This does
not take into account the enormous loss
due to disastrous guarantees and the
commercial paralysis which the fear of
the disease so frequently produces
The disease is now treated by "A serum
discovered through the genius of Yersin.
This is used in much the same way as is
dphtheria antitoXin.
I'laLue is transferred from the sick
rodent to the well man by fleas. The sick
rat has enormous numbers of plague
bacilli in it's blood The blood is taken by
the flea which, leaving the sick rat, seeks
refuge from sustenance on the body OF n
human being to whom il transfers the In
fcction
Since plague is a disease of rodents and
since it is carried from sick rodents to
well men by rodent heas safety from
the disease lies in the exclusion of rodents
not only exclusion from the habitatior
of man hut also from the ports and cities
Of the world. Those who dwell in rat
proof surroundings take no plague, Not
Iouly should man live in rat-proof sur
luundinps, but he should also live in rat
free surroundings. The day is past whcr
the rodent served a useful purpose as the
unpaid city scavcnger. Rats will no
come whore there is no food for them
Municipal cleanliness may he regarded IA:
"A partial insurance against plague. The
prayer that no plague come nigh ON
dwelling is best answered, however by
> rat-proofing the habtaions of man
d Modern sanitary science has evolved
simple ana effective weapon against tn,
! pestilcnce which walketh in darkness an,
strlketh at MONDAY, and the L. s. Publ,
= Health Service has put this knowledge in
to practical operation and thus speedil,
+ eradicated plague wherever it has appear
2 ed in the United States.