PLAGUE OR TYPHUS?

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10635, 20 April 1900, Page 5

PLAGUE OR TYPHUS?

Whilst Sydney is in a ferment, its inhabitants rushing to -Melbourne, and the much-u&eded cleansing of a tilthy city is in progress, it is at least interesting to lenra, remarks the Melbourne "Age," that considerable doubt exists in some quarters as to whether the .»ew South Wales capital is afflicted with the bubonic plague at all. The view that it is not is in some cases very strongly held, and powerful arguments are brought forward in support of tne contention tnafc the medical profession, and the public of Sydney are making a mistake. A gentleman who, until within the lust few days, has been in Sydney sijice the outbreak is lirmly ot opinion that the disease is an aggravated form of typhus, and not the plague at all. Though not a medical man, na has been intimately associated with those who have had to do with the plague in India, and for two years, during lßyo and 1897. was himself •in Calcutta while the plague raged. In conversation with a representative of the "Age" this gentleman made the following observations : —

"1 was in Calcutta during the plague, and whilst there was very intimate with the doctor in charge of the plague operations. 1 heard and also read a great deal about the plague, and from the knowledge I gained I do not think they have the plague in Sydney at all. Bubonic plague is essentially a disease of filtS and bad ventilation, and always occurs in overcrowded parts. It is a subtropical disease, and directly the sun temperature rises above 150deg the plague germs are quiescent. During the hot weather in India, lasting from March to October, and during the l-ains, the plague dies down, breaking out again in the cool Aveather. The principal cure is to take *he roefs off the houses, and let the sunlight into the filthy buildings, though fire ia toe only thing that will completely cure it. I believe, and I know some of the medical profession in Sydney are of opinion, that the scare has really arisen from some very bad cases of fever, and a bad form of typhus, for fever ia exceedingly prevalent in Sydney at the present time. With plague there is a verr high temperature, and then comes a swelling of the glands till they burst, the patient dying in three or four days. Why I do not think they 'have the plague in Sydney is because the mortality has been so very low—some 19 deaths out of 70 cases. In India is over 90 per cent. The deaths, too, have occurred within, two or' three hours of the natient's removal to

quarantine ground. It was recently *iven out that one man. who had the plague was fairly cheerful and! able to "walk about. Well in a true case of plague that would be an absurdity. Furthermore, tM'o of the deaths, ihave been, inoculated cases. In these instances perhaps the plague germs might have been sown. A good many doctors hold the opinion that the disease is really an aggravated form of typhus. It has been said that inoculation would make people immune for four or six months ; but the experience in India is that it does not hold good more than six weeks. If it is the plague there is not the slightest chance of stopping it from reaching Melbourne, for the quarantine regulations in force will be of no avail. I came over by train, but there was no examination. I liad simply to fill in a paper, saying where I came from, and where 1 was going to. In support of my assertion that they have made a. mistake, I may point out that there is no one there with knowledge gained from experience. They do not know enough about it. They even don't know how long to quarantine a person. It is impossible also to say how the plague is spread. In India they are no nearer solving tliat problem."