Show SCIENCE STILL TRYING TR YING I Plague Plaque Struck Years Ago It was years ago in 1348 that the Black Death swept ravenously through Europe killing about 25 persons to take its place as one of the greatest calamities of all time Historians estimated that by the end of 01 the century the Black Death bubonic plague plague had had killed one one- fourth of at Europe's entire population In China another died inan in m inan man an outbreak of the disease at about the same time Even to this day the seeds of nf bubonic bu bu- bu bonic plague are scattered throughout through through- out the world Since 1898 it is estimated estimated esti esti- mated that more than persons persons per per- sons have died of 01 it In India I Authorities dont don't know where or when the plague first began but some say that epidemic disease mentioned in the Bible can be considered considered con con- true pl plague gue and traced through history to 1320 B B. B C C. C It is believed to have started in hi lower Egypt and in a few centuries spread to the ends of the inhabitable Inhabitable Inhabit inhabit- inhabitable able world The black rat of Asia which carries carries carries car car- ries bubonic plague probably was Introduced into Europe by returning crusaders in the century They would have multiplied sufficiently to be noticed hi m Europe within a century century cen tu tury and hl history tory books say they appeared appeared appeared ap ap- at that time It wasn't around 1900 that It was definitely established that th the black rat harbors the disease The I rat is bitten by a flea i the flea then bites u B man and transmits the plague to him In one form the disease even may be communicated between humans According to the U. U S S. S health sere ice plague among rodents exists inmany in m inmany many places in the world today Including including In Ins eluding a great part of this country Outbreaks have occurred among human human human hu hu- hu- hu man beings on the west coast and rodent plague has been reported as far inland as Kansas However officials officials do not fear any outbreak of the Black Death in the United States Medical scientists recently have discovered d that the sulfa drugs are valuable in treatment and believe that the new drug streptomycin may prove so also New and more powerful flea and rat killers include ing DDT and the poison polson R 1080 are proving extremely effective |