THE EXPEDITION TO MANCHURIA. 135 



Should an epidemic of pneumonic plague occur again, it is 

 believed that it will be possible to employ in the wards female 

 nurses for the care of the sick, with but moderate danger to 

 themselves from contracting infection if they are properly 

 protected with a suitable mask and uniform. 



On our arrival in Mukden, in discussing the preliminary plans 

 of our work, we were informed by some European missionary 

 doctors that, owing to the sensitiveness of the Chinese people and 

 to the reverence with which they regard the bodies of the dead, 

 it would be quite impossible for us to perform necropsies in 

 Manchuria, that necropsies had never been permitted, and if 

 we should attempt to perform them, there would be riots among 

 the people, and that we would surely be mobbed. Nothing of 

 this kind was experienced, but frequently we found it difficult 

 to secure necropsies. When we were first presented to the Vice- 

 roy of Manchuria, he asked for our assistance and advice in 

 combating the plague. We replied that all assistance and advice 

 possible would be given, but that at first it would be necessary 

 to study the plague cases in the hospital, to have liberty to 

 treat the plague patients, and to examine their bodies after 

 death to see the effects of the treatment, etc. The Viceroy did not 

 state definitely that permission would be granted us to perform 

 necropsies, but spoke only of the danger from infection in per- 

 forming them. However, he did not refuse to let us carry 

 them on, and this was considered by us at the time as a satis- 

 factory arrangement. In spite of the obstacles in obtaining 

 pathological material from time to time, nevertheless we finally 

 secured 25 perfectly fresh, complete necropsies."' We were told 

 that these were the first post-mortem examinations that had 

 ever been peiTnitted in Mukden. (See Plate II, Necropsy room.) 

 The examinations were sometimes performed under difficulties, 

 owing to the extreme cold. The water in the buckets would 

 sometimes freeze while the necropsy was being perfonned, and 

 .the blood formed icicles as it flowed upon and over the edges 

 of the table. 



The study of the pathological anatomy of the disease was 

 considered important, owing to the fact that previously no such 

 study had been pursued during an extensive epidemic of pneu- 



" Durinje: the epidemic, Koulecha performed 28 necropsies in Harbin, the 

 majority of which were upon bodies which were frozen and subsequently 

 thawed, and Fujinami examined 26 bodies in Chanprchun and Dalny. See 

 Report of the International Plapnje Conference, pp. 151 and 144. 



