Studies upon the plague situation in North China / by Wu Lien-teh [and others].

Date:
[1929?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Studies upon the plague situation in North China / by Wu Lien-teh [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    128/144 (page 398)
    Then we left for the Mongol settlement Talapayintze situated farther north. This place, also surrounded by a wall, was small, comprising only a few houses. I visited one of them which, like the others, was in outer appear ance and general arrangement quite similar to poor Chinese houses. The only im¬ portant differences are: ]. One corner of the houses is set aside as a shrine for the gods; 2. The k'angs are not heatable, consisting simply of mud benches on which lie blankets, partly made of felt (woollen material) and similar to the kochma so largely used by the Kirghese in South-East Russia. 3. The rooms are heated by open fires, large iron pans being placed on mud supports for this purpose. As firing material they use the dried bramble-bushes abounding in the fields, not cow-dung. A rough plan of the house is herewith given: a. Kitchen. b. Sleeping room. C, M > f d. Single-paned paper windows. e. Entrance door. i. Kangs. ii. Fireplaces. iii. Kitchen stove. iv. Shrine. v. Cupboard. vi. Large earthenware vessels, containing ferment¬ ing cabbage. Outside the house there were 3-4 small out-houses to accommodate cattle and horses, stores, a hand-mill, etc. I did not find the place any more dirty than those of Chinese peasants in similar circumstances. The inhabitants looked quite healthy. I could not detect any visible signs of luetic infection; there were 3-4 healthy-looking children in the family. Rat holes were seen in the outbuildings especially, and the inmates admitted the presence of rats. They also promised to obtain jumping rodents for us but it could be seen at once that they were not keen about this. Having to return with the whole cavalcade 1 had no opportunity to look around for wild rodents myself. All I could do was to note the presence of suspi¬ cious holes. Especially near the town these looked like sisel-holes; here they were not very numerous and seemed in part deserted. The Magistrate invited me to stay in Chan-Yu until the promised rodents arrived from the villages but T. left with many thanks for his hospitable reception as well as that of the Chief of Police and Dr. Chang on the morning of the 24th at 7. 20, reaching the station at 9. 30. The bus not being so full, travelling was much quicker. Appendix: The Magistrate thus described the plague organisation in his district: