Wits the plague north, south, and south-west of us, with a ship coming into Woosung having cases on board and a room full of dead rats, all unsuspected until providentially the disease showed itself—only "just in time,—it is but natural that the community should turn with interest to what there may be of new information on a subject of such immense importance. We have spent a great deal year by year in preventive measures and precautions, If such things did no atom of real good the money would still be money well ent, inasmuch as when something is being done, whatever it may be people's minds are more at ease. But we have no doubt whatever thit the measures taken have been real preventive measures and that if they are not to be credited altogether with the fortunate freedom of the port from' plague, they have yet done their share.
Turning to the Medical Reports recently issued by the Statistical Department of the I. M. Customs, on p. 35, we find under the heading Hoihow and Kiungchow, the following interesting observations from "the pen of Dr. H. M. McCandliss "The plague epidemic was still in progress at the close of the last half-yearly Report, and continued until about the middle of June. Up to the close of the former Report there had been about 2,000 deaths; but at the end of the epidemic the officials estimated a total mortality of 5,700, which would make 19 per cent of the population. Probably 15 per cent would be nearct the mark." Fifteen per cent in the Shanghai Settlements would mean some 40,000 and more. "In the Rice Street district over half the population died. This district is one of. the cleanest in Hoihow, on account of the open spaces being constantly swept and used to dry the paddy. On the other hand the abundance of grain causes the district to swarm with rats, vast numbers of which died. Thisis a strong point in favour of the rat infection theory." Support was given to the same theory in the Ballaarat case. On the other hand, cleanliness is carried to its highest possible point on a mail-ship, which again bears out Dr. MeCendliss's observations, which thus continue:—"In another district there is a cluster of Chinese houses somewhat separated from others. One house in this cluster we call the dirty' house, because both people and place are so dirty. All the other houses had plague, and in one of the houses not a soul was left living; yet in the ditty house there was not a case. Those who maintain the filth theory will have to face innumerable instances of similar nature; and it is to be feared that, laudable as the Hongkong whitewashing is, unless it is combined with the destruction of rodent life, the measure will fail of eradicating the plague."
As atr readers probably know, Hongkong has now for some time been engaged in systematic warfare against rats. It remains to be seen how success in this respect will affect the mortality, but one thing is certain, that whenever, and however, plague gets a hold upon a place it is most difficult to shake off. Dr. McCandliss was exceptionally successful with his eight cases, curing seven of them. No foreigners took it.
Dr. Deane remarks in his report upon the freedom from plague of: Pakhoi during 1900, while Lienchow, 10 miles off, suffered severely. The cases were exactly reversed the year before.
As might have been expected a good deal of notice has been taken of the malarial mosquito and his friends. Reports have come in from Africa, Cuba, New Orleans, and other places along the United States coasts all tending to prove without a doubt will'in time'to.eome Bs looked apon that Dr. Manson's great discovery with all the honour now given to Jenner's, or any other of the epoch-marking deductions of the past. Major Ross's name is honourably known in this connection, but old China hands will never forget that Dr. Manson was working' at his investigations on the China coast mosquito and in Formosa years before the general public had ever heard of anopheles or culex.
Dr. Thompson of Hankow has some interesting remarks on malaria, and gives an enlarged diagram of a specimen of anopheles which seems to have been as rare in Hankow as it is in Shanghai. Dr. Macdonald notes that in Wuchow there is a different period for different ages and sexes so
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.