THE BIBLE AND PLAGUE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4896, 28 October 1925, Page 4

THE BIBLE AND PLAGUE.

POINTER IN BOOK OF SAMUEL.

flow the Bible helped a doctor but East to find out tile right means of attacking the source of the deadly plague is 1 told by,Sir James Cantlie, F.R.C.S., in his foreword,to "The Conquest of Disease,” by David Masters.

The doctor was Sir James himself, .and the incident happened in the 'nineties, when the plague was carrying men off like flies in Hong-Kong, and Dr. Cantlie and his colleagues were at a loss how to prevent it. “One morning,” he says, “a clergyman walked into my room and we began to talk about the seburge. “You will find all you want to Know about the plague in the Bible,” he said. ‘Where ?” I asked in amazement. “In the Fjrst Book of Samuel, Chapters. iv., v., and vi.” he answered. “I took the Bible and read how the Philistines sent back the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites with two gifts to placate the wrath of the God of Israel. These gifts were five golden emerods, or buboes, to signify the plague, and five golden rats— indisputable proof that the Philistines knew that the plague Was caused by rats. .

“The passage in the Bible which, in the light of modern knowldege, is so pregnant with meaning, reads :

“ ‘What shall bel the trespass offering which we shall return to him ?’ They answered, ‘Five golden emerods and five golden mice, according to the number of lords of the Philistines, for, one plague was on you all .and oh your lords.’ Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods and images of the mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto God of Israel, peradventure he will lighten his hand from you, and from off your gods and from off your land.’ “It is a most astonishing thing that the Bible should link the plague with rats, which, in ancient days, were regarded as large mice, and thus point the way to solve the mystery of the disease,” remarks Sir James, - who says that he went to Yersin and told him what he had read. “He was inclined ,tb be sceptical, but I made him listen, and he at last realised that the Biblical association of rats and plague was no fantasy but fact.”