ARE WE IN DANGER FROM THE PLAGUE? 591 



fessor Lustig in preparing his serum. From all that I can learn, 

 however, it is not a serum, but a sterilized bacterial culture; at any 

 rate, Lustig's preparation has proved probably least valuable of all. 



At present (July, 1899) the plague prevails throughout India, 

 and has appeared at various places in Baluchistan and Afghanistan, 

 at Samarkand in the Transcaspian Province of Russia; in Persia, 

 at Bassorah and other points along the Persian Gulf; at several 

 places along the western shore of the Red Sea; at Suez and Alex- 

 andria; at Tamatave, in Madagascar; at Port Lewis, Mauritius; at 

 Penang, in the Straits Settlements; at Amoy and Hong Kong, 

 China; and at numerous places in Formosa. For reasons already 

 given, it will not be at all surprising should the recent report that 

 the plague had appeared in Constantinople prove to be true. If 

 it once reaches that place, it is more than likely that it will become 

 scattered throughout the Balkan Peninsula. The sad death of 

 Professor Miiller and his laboratory servant, at Vienna, from the 

 plague bacillus which Professor Miiller brought from Bombay, 

 shows the necessity for caution in handling the germ of this disease. 



Are we in America in danger of the plague? I will have to 

 answ^er this question very much as I did two years ago : " Yes, we 

 are in danger; but this danger, being foreseen, may be easily 

 avoided." In my opinion, our most vulnerable point is along the 

 Pacific coast. "With the plague at Hong Kong, it is possible that 

 it may be transferred to Manila, and the transports bringing sol- 

 diers to this country may also bring the infection. However, I 

 think the chances of this happening are small. The length of time 

 required to make the voyage from Manila to San Francisco is so 

 great that, with the infection on board, it would be almost certain 

 to manifest itself before reaching our shores, and, knowing its pres- 

 ence on board a ship reaching San Francisco or any other point on 

 the w^estern coast, thorough inspection and disinfection will keep 

 the disease out of this country. The probabilities are that for sev- 

 eral years to come the larger cities of India, at least, will remain 

 infected, and our sanitary authorities must be vigilant. The fact 

 that, if the plague reaches us at all, it must come by sea, that a long 

 voyage must be made before it can reach us, and that the disease 

 will most probably appear on board ship before arrival at any 

 American port — all these conditions are in our favor. The Gen- 

 eral Government should take upon itself the control of all meas- 

 ures to prevent the introduction of infectious diseases from with- 

 out. Quarantine detention is a relic of ignorance of the true 

 nature of infectious diseases. AH transports and other vessels be- 

 tween Manila and this country should be provided wath proper 

 disinfecting apparatus. The Government should supply the Ma- 



