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Canton.
For the recent history of the plague I must draw on a pamphlet just published here by Mr Wu called "The right treatment for the Rat Plague.* This writer states that in 1890 the plague broke out in Wu-chuan Lat. 21° 19' Long. 110° 13′E; on the coast between Pakhai and Canton (Before this, he says it came from Tonquin by way of Kwang-si in 1862-75, but this statement is unsupported by facts). In February 1891 it broke out in the towns and villages round Kao Chou in Lat. 21°48′ Long.110° 28′ and in April in Kao Chou
May itself when many thousands died. After few of those
who died had buboes but the disease took the form of raging fever, bleeding from mouth and nose, boils and petechiae.
A
Those who knew what to do moved on to the
hills or into boats as soon as the rats died. After the beginning of June the disease began to grow less. Evidence and theory as to the causes and nature
of the disease
Authorities native and foreign agree that the contagion is bred in flith, and the native doctors
all declare that the immediate cause of this outbreak
was the unusual dryness of the winter and spring months That the season was an extraordinarily dry one is
proved by the published observations of the Hong Kong
Meteorological Department, from which I have taken the following:-