ch science is teaching us how to prevent or control many
of our most serious diseases.

THE INDIAN PLAGUE COMMISSION

In 1896, what proved to be a very serious outbreak of plague, occurred
in Bombay and spread to other parts of India. In 1898, a commission was
appointed to inquire into the origin of the different outbreaks, the
manner in which the disease is communicated, etc. This was known as the
Indian Plague Commission, and its exhaustive report, together with the
minutes of the evidence presented to the committee, represents a
stupendous amount of work on this subject and is the basis for much of
the later investigation that has been undertaken.

After the consideration of the evidence from various sources the
commission decided that the principal mode of infection both for man and
rats was through some sort of an abrasion in the skin, although it
recognized also the possibility of infection through the nose and
throat, and possibly, very rarely, through the intestinal tract or other
places.

Considerable time was spent in considering Dr. Simond's claim, made in
1898, that fleas which have been parasitic on plague-infected rats
migrate on the death of their hosts and convey the infection to healthy
men and rats. Dr. Simond sought to establish the following:

"Firstly, that plague rats are eminently infective when infected
with fleas and that they cease to be infective when they have been
deserted by their parasites: Secondly, that living plague bacilli
are found in association with fleas which are taken from
plague-infected rats: Thirdly, that plague can pass from infected
rats to other animals which have not come directly in contact with
them or with their infected excretions: Fourthly, that fleas which
infest rats will transfer themselves as parasites to men."

After reviewing the experiments which had been made to establish these
claims the commission believed that sufficient precaution had not been
taken to prevent infection from other sources and that not enough
definite evidence was produced. Against this claim much negative
evidence was considered and the final conclusion was "that suctorial
insects do not come under consideration in connection with the spread of
plague."

In 1905 another body of men known as the Advisory Committee was
appointed to arrange for further studies in India and other places,
particularly in relation to the mode of dissemination of