132 STRONG. 



the case in other countries, when large epidemics of disease 

 suddenly arise, China was unprepared to cope with this outbreak 

 of plague. In Mukden there was no suitable building that could 

 be used for a pneumonic-plague hospital. However, an old 

 temple, situated about a mile from the city, had been converted 

 for this purpose. (See Plate I.) About the various court yards 

 of the temple numerous wards had been hastily constructed 

 of light timber and boards, and the crevices between the boards 

 covered with paper. Three small rooms, situated in the center 

 of the hospital, were turned over to us for laboratory purposes. 

 (See Plate II.) Tables, basins, etc., were supplied, and our 

 laboratory apparatus having been installed, we began regular 

 clinical and laboratory studies, which were continued until the 

 end of the epidemic. In addition to the laboratory supplies 

 brought with us, we ordered by cablegram from Messrs. Lauten- 

 schlager, Berlin, the emergency plague laboratory adopted by 

 Professor Koch for the Institut fiir Infektionskrankheiten, 

 Berlin, to be shipped to us by express. This laboratory appa- 

 ratus is very compactly packed in five aluminum cases and cost, 

 delivered in Mukden, exclusive of express, 6,925 marks. While 

 with this additional equipment we were able to carry on satis- 

 factory laboratory work, nevertheless, in our improvised labo- 

 ratory building there was no running water, and even in the 

 day time it was difficult to heat the rooms properly. At night, 

 the temperature in the building was frequently below freezing 

 point, so that incubators could not be kept at satisfactory tem- 

 peratures. Obviously there was no gas in Mukden, and for 

 bacteriological work alcohol blast lamps were employed and 

 for sterilization purposes, primus burners. In addition, we 

 found it difficult or impossible to replenish our chemicals and 

 other supplies. These and other unfavorable conditions served 

 as obstacles to the performance of ideal work, and many of 

 our researches were, therefore, only completed in this laboratory 

 after our return. We had previously purchased in Shanghai 

 at the Municipal Laboratory, through the kindness of its director, 

 Dr. Arthur Stanley, all the guinea pigs that that institution 

 could spare. This proved a fortunate purchase, for we were 

 unable to obtain any more of these animals during the entire 

 time we were engaged in plague work in Mukden. Mice, how- 

 ever, were obtainable in limited numbers, and two species of 

 marmots were kindly supplied us by the Chinese. 



In the plague-hospital-wards, wooden platforms, about 70 cen- 

 timeters high and 2 meters broad, and extending along one 



