[Infectious diseases 225]

Treatment.—­Prevent spread of the infectious mosquitoes; use screens and netting in infected districts.  Careful nursing, food by rectum while vomiting is frequent.  For the hemorrhage opium is given; frequent bathing will keep down the fever; and for the vomiting cocaine is given and cracked ice.

Plague (bubonic plague).—­Plague is an infectious disease characterized by inflammation and suppuration of the lymph nodes and cutaneous (skin) hemorrhages.  It has long been known as the Plague or “Black Death,” on account of its “flea-bite looking eruptions.”  This disease is becoming a serious matter on our western coast, especially in and around San Francisco.  The disease exists in India all the time, and there is now danger of it becoming epidemic (existing all the time) in San Francisco, according to today’s, Jan. 10th, Detroit Free Press.  Mr. Merriam, chief of the U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey, recently appeared before congress and asked for more money to investigate this and other conditions, and how to stamp out the carriers of this dreadful disease.  European wharf rats, introduced about San Francisco, have spread the plague to the ground squirrels, and the gophers, rabbits, field mice, and other rodents are now being infected.  In India, fleas on the native squirrel, perpetuate the plague.  The way to stop the plague is to kill the carriers.

Causes.—­The bacillus pestis (pests) is transmitted through insects, small animals, like rats, through the air, or in clothing, bedding, and is contained in the feces and urine.  The poor in unhygienic districts are most often attacked.

Bubonic Type.—­In this type the lymph nodes, particularly in the arm-pit, and groins show inflammatory lesions with marked overgrowth of new tissue.  Sometimes there is suppuration, hemorrhage and local death of the part.  The bacilli are formed in great numbers in the affected nodes and secondary lesions.

Septicemic Type.—­In this type all lymph nodes and nodules show signs of toxemia and the bacilli are formed in the primary (first) lesions and in the blood.

Pneumonic Type.—­In this type there are areas of broncho-pneumania, with lesions of the bronchial lymph nodes.  The bacilli occur in these situations and in the sputa.

[226 Mothers’ remedies]

Symptoms.—­In the bubonic plague (the usual form) the invasion is marked by headache, depression, pain in the back, stiffness of the extremities and fever.  This rises for three or four days, then falls several degrees and is followed by a more severe secondary fever of the prostrating type.  At about the third to the fifth day the lymph nodes usually become enlarged most often in the inguinal (groin) region.  This is followed by a resolution (getting better) suppuration forming pus or necrosis (local death of the part).  “A flea bite looking eruption and hemorrhages from the mucous membrane often occur.  The mild cases, which often occur at the beginning of an epidemic, and at its close, are marked only by slight fever and glandular swelling, which may terminate in the forming of pus in the part.  In these cases the symptoms are slight and last only a few days.”