Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1896 — The Plague in Hongkong, [ARTICLE]

The Plague in Hongkong,

European physicians who have hud experience in China during epidemics have been obliged to combat muny stubborn prejudices of the natives. In 1894 the plague attacked Hongkong about the middle of May. From fifty to 100 deaths occurred dally. From the first the Chinese strongly objected to the removal of their sick to European hospitnls. They did not understand the necessity of segregation. They preferred to die in their unclean surroundings among friends than to accept the chance of a lonely recovery at a hospital. The devices to which the Chinese resorted to conceal the slch from searching parties were many aud Ingeulus. A system of house to house visitation had to be organized to overcome the dangerous secretiveness of the Chinese. The efforts of the cleansing and disinfecting staff were rendered almost futile by the dislike of the natives to sanitary precautions. The epidemic caused 2,550 deaths before it ceased in early September. The necessity of burying the dead in common graves was a grent shock to the feelings of the natives, and finally led to open rebellion. Concessions had to be made to the Ignorant and desperate Celestials nnd the presence of the Chinese medical attendants in the European hospital was permitted. Chinese to the number of 100,000 left Hongkong while the plague was raging. Their demnnd that their plaguestricken relatives be allowed to accompany them was, of course, not granted. Of the Chinese patients who were attacked by the epidemic only 18 per cent, recovered, while 82 per cent, of the Europeans afflicted were ro stored to health.—New York World.