The city of Hotel and its surrounding districts are in the grip of the worst epidemic of malaria in recent years, That the disease is wide-Spread is evidenced by the fact that, when the local Christian Hospital exhausted its supply of atebrin, the speciile for the crescent or malignant type prevalent, it was found impossible to secure the medicine from Wuhu. so numerous were the cases being treated there with the same remedy, and it became necessary to send as far as Nanking. The medicine is given either by mouth or by hypodermic and is almost 100 per cent. effective. Hypodermics of plasmoguinine are, also used. Compara-lively few, however, of the uneducated village people are acquainted either with the cause of the disease or with the proper method of cure.
reported that In the rural districts nine out of ten in many households are suffering, which without Proper treatment proves in many cases fatal. The most popular methods of "cure" are purely superstitious. One wealthy city family, whose head was a victim of the disease, engaged a troupe of Taoist priests who sat.on a raised platform In the middle of the street before the open doorway of the residence, and for three nights in succession burned incense, beat gongs, recited incantations and performed grotesque dances for the alleged purpose of driving away the demons of malaria, Western Medicine Wins Out Fortunately the family at the same time employed "the services of a Western trained physician who administered the medicine necessary the patient's recovery. Tt is perhhaps significant that the mosquitoes observed in the locality this season. are not only unusually numerous but almost fabulously large. The fact that mosquitoes carry "the disease from one person to another is, however, not a part of the average citizen's store of knowledge. and the cause of the epidemic Is commonly fltributed to unfriendly spirits. spite of prevailing disease throughout the countryside the Lunar eighth month festival was celebrated this year with great zest, Tt marked the end of a fairly abundant harvest, except for the districts to the north and west where water is scarce. On the evening of the full moon city streets were full of merrymaking by young and old. The explosion of Inreerackers added to the galely of the atmosphere, myriads of straw torches blazed, and everywhere deli-elons moon cakes were consumed.
'The local celebration of this the the Feast of the Moon reminds one in certain respects of the celebration of Hallowe'en in Western countries, There is the same spirit of frolic broad. Children enter their neigh Lours' gardens surreptitiously and carry away whatever vegetables they can plunder. Torches are lighted In-lead of Jack-o'-lanterns, and are car-Blod about in the hope of preventing the prank players from working 100 much havoc.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.