Kashing, April 13.
The epidemic of spinal meningitis in the country districts has claimed many victims, mostly children under 10 years of age. Death comes often after a few days, sometimes only hours. Without" treatment perhaps 99 per cent. are fatal ith the best that drainage and injection can do with those brought in, scarcely 25 per cent. recover. The supply of coffins in small towns is exhausted. The country people have paraded with large offerings of "devil money" to appease the disease demon. The fees paid to actual living doctors seem only a trifle compared tg the enormous sums remitted to the spirit world.
A sign of the times is revealed by a current incident. The city people wanted to have a lantern procession with floats and various other features. The civil authori ties forbade the crowds to assemble. The military authorities verbally or otherwise gave permission, so the procession goes on nicht after night to the great joy of the people. The Chinese keenly enjoy seeing somebody or other "lose face."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.