The Portland daily press., 1899-12-15
RATS AND THE PLAGUE.
OniciaI Report OF the Bubonic Epi-
demic in Brazil.
(Dispa,oh tn the st. Louis Globe Demo-
crat.)

(Dispatoh tn the st. Louis Globe Demo.
crat.)
Surgeon General wymaD, of the Marine
Hospital service. bas rcsived an inter
esting report from Surgeon Havelburg, at
bio Janeiro. on the progress Of the bu-
bonio plague In Bra zil. The surgeon
writes:
1.-THE appearance Of the plague at San
tics has given occasion to different In
novatiopa In the Hospital Santa Casa
de Misericordis, at santos, there was in
stalled new compartment for the obser-
walton Of patients whose disease has not
yet bean recognized. At Santos, Sac
paulo and Rio de Jansiro the sanitary
inspectors are occupied in examining for
hygienio purposes the houses. especially
tenement houses, restaurants, butchsr
shops, etc. Similar measures have been
adopted at other cities.
al might almost say that the question
of the plague has become ludicrous. At
cities, n Ter conditions In which the ap-
pearanoe Of the plague 10 not very proba-
BILE, there have Leen made elaborate
preparations and expensive institutions
have teen founded. In splits of the small
mum bar of patients from the plague,
there have been taken at Sac Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro preliminary steps for es-
tablishing special institutions ter making
ant plague serum, Is II We were obliged
to take care against the plague Us an en-
demic disease. DIR. Vital Brazil, who.
ga have reported, has been sick himself
at santos. but has already recovered, IL
appointed director OF the institute at Sac
Paulo, and the institute OF Rio de Jane
iro Ia to be- under the direction Of DIR.
Ismaelda Rocha, director OF the Military
ARCHAEOLOGICAL Institute. and DIR. Oswald
Graz, n young man.
Moreover, the brazilian Government
has succeed d, by means Of It's represen-
tatiye in Italy, In arranging there for a
considerable quantity Of serum. The ar
rival OF Prof. Ferri, Of Messina. Ia short
ly expected here. he will bring serum
with him, and will hereafter prepare it
here. 1t has not bsen possible for ms to
find out whether what no brings and In
tends to make here Is really s5rum or
whether it Is Vaccine against the plague.
such as that Of Haffkine. In due time l
shall report In regard to u.
HFor the purpose of e1scting efficient
disinfection OF persons arriving from
santos q large and convenient Institution
has been established In the building for
i'm migrants at sac Paulo, and. more
over, those persons are obliged to take
baths In watsr containing btchlorids OF
mercury.
"Up to few days ago about 4b00 rats
had been killed and burnt ut Sac Paulo.
DIR. Uno de Anrads has handed 60 the
Minister of the Interior his report on
the bubouio plague at Santos. This re-
port Is based on Information furnished by
his assistant, DIR. Peroira das Neves, who
went 20 Santos for the exclusive purpose
| Of aaoertsining at what date the plague
made Its appearance. he says:
I" At Santos there occurred on two
occasions, without any known cause, CON-
adorable mortality among rate. After
the second OCCASION OF this mortality
among rats there appeared suspicious
cases, whoss diagnosis as the plague was
established
ssThe Investigation resulted In the
conclusion that there was direct relation
between the mortality among rats and
the appearance OF of the bubonio plague.