Bry'an, William

JENNINGS, lawyer and statesman, born at Salem, Ill., 1860. Studied law at Union Law College, Chicago, and practised at Jacksonville, Ill., and Lincoln, Neb. Elected to Congre as a Free Silver man in 1890 and again in 1892. An impa ioned speech of his at the Chicago Democratic Convention, 1896, obtained him a nomination for the Presidency, and his candidacy was subsequently endorsed by the People's and National Silver Parties; but after a campaign of phenomenal industry he was defeated at the election, on Nov. 3, by Wm. McKinley (q. v.). Bryce, Rr. HON. JAMES, born at Belfast, Ireland, May 10, 1838. An eminent British statesman, lawyer and writer. Regius Prof. of Civil Law at Oxford University, 1870-93; at various times Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and (until 1895) Pres. of the Board of Trade. Author of The Holy Roman Empire, Transcaucasia and Ararat; The American Commonwealth , . Fig . 2752. Bubonʼic Plague. ( Path .) The popular name of a malignant disease which has devastated the East at various periods, and which made its latest dreaded appearance in India during the latter part of 1896. It is probably better designated as malignant poly adenitis, for in numerous cases no real bubo appears. This disease made its first appearance in Europe A. D. 554, at Constantinople, but for centuries before had existed, frequently as an epidemic, in Egypt and the Levant. The Great Plague of London occurred in 1665, having been brought from Holland. It is estimated that some 25,000,000 Europe ans have died from this disease, while the number who have perished in the East is beyond conjecture. Its outset is characterized by great la itude and enfeeblement of mind and body, shivering, headache, vertigo, high fever, vomiting, and great prostration, followed by lymphatic swellings, chiefly affecting the inguinal glands, though not infrequently the axillary and cervical glands. Again there are purple spots and mottling of the skin, with suppurative degeneration. In severe cases death generally ensues within 48 hours. If life be longer maintained, the prognosis is prop or BACILLI OF BUBONIC PLAGUE. tionately favorable. It is now generally agreed that the B. P. is a germ disease, and the offending bacillus has been identified by Indian bacteriologists, and also by European and American investigators. It is easily demonstrable in blood drawn from the patient, and when cultures are made from the softened contents of diseased glands the bacilli may be obtained quite pure. The organisms are very minute, stain more distinctly at the ends than at the center, and fresh specimens seem to be enclosed in a capsule. The bacilli resemble the well-known bacilli of chicken pox, and grow freely upon glycerin, the colonies being whitish, with a blue tint in reflected light; they are said not to survive more than four days of des sic at i on. Experiments are now being made with a view to preparing a curative serum whereby immunity from this terrible disease may be attained, and the results so far give much promise of ultimate succe . It has been demonstrated that the germs flourish in any suitable media-beef-tea, glycerin preparations, . at ordinary temperatures up to 58° C. (about 116° F.), but above that temperature they begin to show signs of uneasine , and at 60° C. (about 120° F.) they perish, and, of course, become innocuous. American investigators, moreover, are inclined to think that sunlight and dryne cannot be relied upon to destroy the bacilli, but have shown that an exposure to al per cent. solution of carbolic acid for two hours is sufficient to kill them. Rags, general merchandise, and almost any kind of ballast will serve as a medium of transportation from one country to another, and the nece ity for establishing a rigid quarantine, with disinfecting ovens, is thus indicated.