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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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become an efficient fighting machine. “this current of sympathy between the two When that difficulty is overcome, however, "great and powerful nations of Germany there remains the greater objection of his "and France, united already by their com- unreliability. We say nothing as to his mon devotion to so many beautiful things want of courage, for that is probably no "in the sciences, the arts, aud the industries, more conspicuous than with other Oriental" and united also by their love of peace on races, while the natives of some provinces "earth." If France be really devoted to peace undoubtedly possess many of the qualities the outlook need occasion little anxiety. She that go to make the soldier, such as endur- has been the stormy petrel of international | ance, patience, and hardihood. But so long politics, and it is to her more than to any as there is other material available, we other Power that Europe owes the burdon strongly deprecate the experiment now be of the gigantic armaments under which it ing tried at Weibaiwei being extended. groans. But natural dispositions are not As Police the Chinese have proved far from easily changed, and if France cemented a a success, and they are not likely to give firm friendship with one strong Power it is more satisfaction as soldiers.
to be feared that she would be only the more ready to pick a quarrel with others. She has long been in search of a friend and thought she had found one in Russia, but that union does not appear to have answered expectations, so now she is rendy to bury the hatchet with Germany and enter into terms of amity with that Power. Should this new friendship become firmly cemented no doubt Germany would be able to exercise a wholesome restraining influence upon ber neighbour, under which, the love of peace now so effusively expressed might become more deep-rooted and permanent than it may be suspected to be at the moment.
FRANCU-GERMAN RELATIONS.
(Daily Press, 17th May).
14
A visit paid to Saigon the other day by the German cruiser Prinzess Wilhelm is regarded by the Courrier de Baigon as of political and historical importance. It was but yesterday," says our contempor ary," that two men-of-war of His Imperial Majesty WILLIAM II., passing along the "coast of Algeria, anchored in French "waters for the first time since the war and "received the most correct welcome at ('ran "and Algiers. To-day a German cruiser, the "Prinzess Wilhelm, has come to Saigon to
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pay us, according to the official despatches, a visit of courtesy. Without exaggerat ing the importance of these two events, "we must discern in them something significant and symtomatic. For a long time past there has been a happy improve "ment in the diplomatic relations between "Paris and Berlin, and of all the nations that have assisted' at our moral recovery "after the terrible trials of nearly thirty years ago, at the reawakening of our energy, at the cicatrisation of our wounds, Germany has perhaps admired us the ***most."
The Courrier goes on to bestow high praise on the " young
and chivalrous " Emperor, whose accession marked the commencement of a new era, in which ideas of peace and of commercial prosperity are in the ascendant. Misunderstandings have disappeared, old quarrels have been made up, and if some Frenchmen still think only of the revanche, others foresee less tragic 'solutions and look forward to peaceful ar 'rangements in a future perhaps not far distant. Our contemporary numbers itselfamongst the latter and accords a most sincere welcome 'to "these adversaries of yesterday ready no doubt to become the friends of to- *"*morrow.”
Reference is made to the Em- peror's efforts in the cause of peace, mention being made in this connection of the exercise of his Majesty's influence in the Hispano-American war; and the "delicate "attentions that the French Govern ment, diplomats, and navy have re- ceived from Germany since the decline of the BISMARCK policy are noted. "In "times of national mourning the young "Emperor's telegrams of condolence have always been the first to arrive." Perhaps the significance of that particular fact may be somewhat discounted by the 'consideration that the Emperor always tries to be first with his telegrams, whatever the "occasion. It is, however, edifying to see the readiness of our French friends to at last accept the olive branch, and in the common intérest of the world it is to be hoped that the Courrier de Saigon has rend the signs of the times aright and that the old enmity is flickering out. Our contemporary concludes its article with the following aspiration :- "Let there further accentuation and fixing of
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FLEAS AND THE CONVEYANCE OF
PLAQUE INFECTION,
(Daily Press, 16th May.)
[May 20, 1899. inoculation of a rat with the contents of their intestines produces the disease. Healthy rats or mice may be safely left in contact with plague stricken rats or their bodies if these have been cleared of flens, but in the con- trary case they contract the disease even though a grating keeps them from direct contact with the diseased animals. In the light of this etiology Dr. SIMOND reports a certain number of facts of a clinical order the interpretation of which was formerly almost impossible. The Phlyctene précoce, noticed as a frequent symptom in plague, mirks the point of entrance of the bacillus, and it is always situated about the re- gions particularly exposed to the bites of flens. It was known that the hand- ling of rats dead of the plague was some- times dangerous and sometimes inoffensive; it is now explained that the danger exists when the death is recent and the body covered with fleas; it is inoffensive, on the other hand, when the auimal has been dead so long that the fleas have left it. The mechanism of the transmission plague being thus established, Dr. SIMOND deduces therefrom rational rules of pro- phylaxis against the disease, and these rules, we are told, have proved completely efficacious in all cases in which they have been applied. Here the summary from which we quote breaks off and we are left in ignorance of what these rational rules
The theory advanced ຄອ
the manner of infection seems plausible to a lay mind whether it will prove convincing to the doctors who have held that the disease
are.
INCREASED TAXATION.
of the
to
Local doctors are divided in opinion as to the means by which the plague bacillus enters by the digestive tract remains to be gains access to the human system, one
seen. Assuming it to be correct, however, party holding that infection is contracted the practical question, is, how are flens to through the digestive tract and the other be got rid of? It may be noted as at least that the poison enters through abrasions of a suggestive coincidence that the disease the skin. Now comes a French doctor and makes it appearance in this part of the tells us that fleas are the chief medium by world about the time of the year that the which the disease is propagated.
We fleas become active and when all animals have seen it suggested before that infection swarm with them. by fleas was possible, but we now have the theory set out in detail and supported by experiment. Dr. SIMOND, a member of the French colonial medical service,
(Daily Press, 19th May.) was sent to India to investigate the plague
Increased taxation is in the air. For our and he has published his conclusions in the own part, we cannot admit the necessity, Annales de l'Institute Pasteur. It has always for the recently published financial returns been observed that where plague has appeared show that the ordinary income of the colony it has been ushered in by a great mort- is sufficient to cover the ordinary expendi- ality amongst rats. The discovery of the
ture and to leave a small margin. No bacillus, we are told, enabled Dr. YERSIN to doubt the development and administration establish that rats and human beings suc- of the New Territory will involve consider- cumbed to one and the same affection. able fresh expenditure, but it would be Still, however, the mechanism of the manifestly unfair to throw that burden on contagion from rot to man, from man to the present generation of Hongkong tax- to man, and from man to rat payers, who are not likely to derive much remained unknown. It was supposed that benefit from it. A good deal of money will the rat became infected through the have to be spent on permanent works, such digestive tract, by eating plague matter from as roads, piers, markets, sanitation, and so human beings or the bodies of other rats forth, and the most appropriate means of that had died of plague, Dr. SIMOND, meeting expenditure of that description is however, says that ordinarily one cannot by a loan, whereby the payment can be succeed in infecting the rat; the monkey, spread over a number of years and be or the squirrel by the ingestion of contributed to by those who in future years plague cultures or products, while inocula-will enjoy the benefit of the works. If, tion with a trace of the virus suffices to however, we are to have increased-taxation, give them the disease. Hence Dr. SIM ND the question arises, in what form can it be was led to enquire if there was not a natural best imposed.? The house tax, burdensome agent capable of introducing the bacillus as it is felt to be, falls with the most equal. directly into the healthy skin, and after incidence on the whole community, Euro- much experimental research he pean and Chinese, rich and poor, and if oluded that there was such an agent increased taxation there must be, possibly
that ic and
In the flen.
that would be the least objectionable healthy state the rat is not troubled with | form. The Hongkong correspondent of fleas, as it rids itself of them with great the N. C. Daily News has suggested a ease, but at a late stage of the plague it is tax on alcohol, and certainly no one generally covered with them. The fleas, would dispute that that is a very pro- gorged with the blood of the disensed rat, per subject for taxation, but it so happens preserve for a certain time the bacillus of that we have no means of collecting such
We have no Custom-house, and when the plague in their digestive tract, and the tax.
was
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