Plague and Riot 



It appeared that two or three weeks earlier a 

 woman of the middle class had been taken to 

 the Lazaretto suffering from a disease pro- 

 nounced by the doctor in charge to be bubonic 

 plague. It was stated that he exhibited to 

 some of his colleagues the characteristic plague 

 bacilli. Other cases of suspicious disease 

 followed and were removed to the Lazaretto. 

 Thither also were taken for isolation and dis- 

 infection the families of the patients. It was 

 reported that the disease was taking a pneu- 

 monic form of a particularly insidious and 

 dangerous character. 



Up to this point the authorities seem to 

 have acted in the only way possible. Granted 

 the existence of a serious infectious disease, as 

 they were informed by their medical adviser 

 was the case, it was their duty to endeavour by 

 isolating the patients and those who had been 

 in contact with them to stamp it out. Where 

 they broke down, and occasioned the subse- 

 quent trouble with its far-reaching conse- 

 quences, was in the neglect of proper methods, 

 especially as regards publicity. People in con- 

 siderable numbers were taken to the Lazaretto ; 

 no official news as to what was passing within 



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