The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-21
Astonishing
By Arthur c. Jacobson, M. D.
Assoeiate Editor Of the Medical Times

" complacently assumed IN
medical quarters. and, or course, an
the laIty, that the disease was form
10 grippe.
But 1t was not long before many tn
turned up to make it apparent that
worldwide scourge OF what was called
"hu" did not At with facts already KIN
about la grippe and the we'll known sr
bacillus.
What, then, was the cause Of this
demic with It's frightful mortality
Fit was not ia grippe" what was
BY a very curious accident 1t app
highly probable that the mystery VI
has surrounded the epidemic Of what
been called the "flu" has been solved
French scientist, DR.. Eugene Foley,
smearinE the nose Of rat with influ
sputum to infect 1t when the rat
dentally bit DR.. Foley.
Very shortly Professor Foley bega
manifest symptoms OF illness. which st
tly developed in intensity and finally
sumed a very grave character, with all
characteristics Of probably fatal cas-
"fu."
What happened that led to the disco
OF the germ and its successful treatn
"a set forth in the doctors communicat
from winch the writer has condensed
salient points which are given be-
low In this article.
The startling thing is the claim
Sy DR.. Foley that the recent cpl
deuic Of "du' Is nothing else than
the plague" OF ancient times and
the BLACK Death" Of the middle
ages; that the elusive and mysterl'
Gus Flu. germ is nothing else
than peculiar variety OF the we'll
known bacillus pestis-the germ
which has secured the world from
century 10 century with plague and
the Black Death.
p Writing OF the bacillus pests in
his General Bacteriology." DR.. Ed
win o. Jordan says:
During the middle ages the
plague prevailed extensively through
out Europe. The narrow. dirty
streets, and rat-intestedl dwellings
OF the walled towns. then becoming
densely peopled, seemed to hav"
been highly favorable TO the spread
OF the disease. and in some districts
whole populations were carried of
by the scourge. Hecker. reliable
authority, estimates that 25.000,000
persons. or one-quarter OF all the
inhabitants Of Europe. persisted in
The Great Mortality or Black
Death OF the fourteenth century
(1S4S-4S). Few diseases have left
so deep a mark on general litera-
ture.
THE Decameron Of Boccaccio pur-
ports to be a collection Of stories
told by a company Of ladies and gen.
tle2en driven by the plague to
refuge in a country house outside
walls Of Florence. and enc OF
most vivid descriptions OF the pl
ever written Is from Boccaccio's pei
"Detoes famous Journal OF
Plague Year although fictitious nj
tive, gives realistic and essentially
picture OF the devastation Of Londo
1865 by an outbreak Of the dreadful E
Death in which 10000 persons pcris
Commerce and industry were
largely suspended and thousands OF
sons fed for safety to the open f
about London.
For reasons that may be only pi
conjectured the plague has had irree
periods OF quiescence and recrudesct
Western Europe has been practically
from plague since the middle OF the
teenth century, and the disease began
first great extension in modern times
it's appearance in 1898 In Hongkong.
1895 in Bombay During recent years
plague has caused terrible loss Of III
British India. Official statistics show
In the period OF 1896 to 1907 about s
600 deaths were due to this disease.
October, 1899. a case was reported al
tos. Brazil; this IS thought TO be the
occurrence Of the plague in the ives
hemisphere. Other cases have since
reported in North America. in part
Mexico and in Central America.
specific bacillus Of the plague lB. pc
was discovered almost simultaneously
Yersin and by Kitasato."
Is our recent worldwide epidemic o
"fu" nothing else than a modern v
ton Of the same germ which. in its ca
ages and forms. scourged mankind
plague, cholera BLACK Death" Let u
anime DR.. Folley's reports OF his ex
ences and conclusions.
At first, DR. Foley reports. he felt 81
hons Of GOODNESS. weakness OF the p
a slow heart beat and faintness. 7