THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6344, 25 November 1898, Page 1

THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.

THE PLAGUE IN INDIA. .ITS, SYMPTOMS AND ITS EFFECTS. A special prize of 50 rupees was reucntly avrarded in Madras for tho best essay ori the subject of the bubonic plague. The T-inner wa< Mr P. Karunakani Menon, a Civil Apothecary of Malabar. Wth regiird to the form the plague takes the essayist says that after exposure to infection, the symptoms may begin at any tune up to ten days. The patient begins to feel ill, has pains in the bones, the back, • the loins. Suddenly high fever sets in. the person appears dull and stupid, the Avhites of the eyes become red. his tongue is coated ' with white.imatter; in -the' ceiitre, while the' i-eifiiftn* t V^ <^H fe ' sptSlts-^ *p ■ slovrf hesitating manner, or sometimes replies in an- angry tone. Then swellings called " buboes '' may appear in the groins, armpits or behind the jaw, or in. all these places. These aie very characteristic, of this disease, so .it is sometimes called " Bubonic plague.'' Sometimes buboes do not appear, as the . person may die too suddenly, or if the lungs are attacked by the disease in the pneumonic type. The disease is a, very deadly one, for out of every one hundred persons attacked more than eighty will die. 1 "Death usuailytakes place within three or four days of at- *««*•' V ' ' . . •':'■■-■ The disease is caused by a microbe, which is.found Ui the 'body of affected persons, and especially in the neighbourhood of affected glands. These rnicrobas, or germs, multiply to an enormous. extent in an incredibly short time, and secrete a sort of poisonous matter, "which is the cause of the symptoms of plague. Foul soil crowded with narrow streets, and badly ventilated dwellings, are specially favouring causes, relaton of infection to Water is open to doubt, but certain facts lave been observed that point to this ber ing a possible medium. The clinging of the infective agenfc to clothing is more certain. JSats, being very liable to infection,- act as conveyors of the disease from an infected lionw to. the surrounding houses. - The rnetns of prevention are grouped un■der three headings: — (1) Domestic cleauliress, (2) personal cleanliness, (5) inoculation. The striking success of Professor Haffkine's system of inoculation has led the essayist to describe the process. A measured quantity of a fluid .which is specially . prepared by Professor Haffkinfi is injected iuto the skin of a human, flank or arm by means of a hypodermic needle. The needle mereiy penetrates the skin, and' does not "reach the flesh . f>r bones ; a slight prick being all that is felt. This produces a mild fever, quite frea from serious danger. There is some pain at the seat of inoculation and a certain amount of fever for a couple of days. A few days later another and larger amount ot the fluid is injected in the opposite flank or arm, pioducing a repetition of the symptoms, but usually of a less severe nature. The after effect on the person is the same as though he had actually suffered from - plague itself. It is known that one attack of plague usually protects from a second attack; sp^inpculati on in most cases also protects men from the plague, and even if they chance to Tx> attacked after inoculation they generally recover. The essayist concludes this portion of his task by quoting figures to prove the efficacy of "inoculaton as a preventive. In many cities leading' Mohammedans and Hindoos have been inoculated in order to set examples for their less educated brothers, and most of the missionaries, men and women, at work in India have adopted the same course.