THE PLAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13226, 11 July 1906, Page 5

THE PLAGUE.

By Toph.-Pics* A.»foc£aUou.~-Copyright •SvnxKV, July 10. Another ease of plague, but of the ordin* " uty bubonic type, hits occurred in Sydney, . Recently the pneumonic type of plagu* broke out ill Sydney, and was attended with mortality. Dr. Ashburtou Thompson, th<> Sydney authority, referring to thi- outbreak, said the oilier day: "It, is well known that three forms of plague are distinguished. One is the form bubonic plague. Another is the form which take* that of blood-poisoning; while the third, from which the patients (in a recent outbreak) minercd, is tJiat which i» known'cut primary plague pneumonia. The* two' former at* absolutely noncontagious, and it will have been noticed that since the beginning of the;- ; firjrit epidemic the patients have not . wen removed to strict isolation, but haw been dealt with in a ward at the Coast Hospital, which is a general hospital. Plague-pneumonia, however, is quit« another thing. It is at least as contagious a* Mifallpox, with this added, that every one is susceptible to it. A similar course has to be pursued with it, therefore, as with smallpox. The isolation of thoffe who can 1* reached who have been in contact with lii« patient is imperative. No doubt thev may not all fall ill, but everyone, that doe* fail ill forms a, centre of imminent danger for some fresh household. While, however. tbi,<» .form of the ■'iifieak* i* very much' more, to be ,* dreaded then tire other ..two forms, tiiA . manner iu which il spreads, namely, hv * contagion, renders it much more- <taMr* cheeked. All that is necessary is toM«o!afe ■■•;-(: all those who have been exposed to t,h* i«- ■. lection until after the incubation' period, which, in the case «f this di.>-vewrfj, iis irtot ■"■./?: more, than five days. The other two forms are, less immediately alarming, but aft now know hr 'long experience are Vdtf much more difficult 1 to arrest. The .reason is that while with ■them.tn«n > is ; no» ctwta^ion their cause lies with the rats -the difficulty of arresting them is exactly piopor'tioinilft , to the difficulty of searching out all the rat?. .Much, therefore, dejwmdi* on the energy of* the Health Department in this confix* geuey.*' ■'";"'';■ -X'} .-'