The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-14
BUBONIC PLAGUE THREATENS.
THE PROSPECT NOT 4 PLEASING
ONE, SAYS DIR. BRUNNER.

The Plague Is Approaching From
TOO Many Different Directions,
From south America, Hawaii ana
the Philippines and the Mediter-
ranean-Marine Hospital Service Is
on Guard and Doing Splendid
WorI<-WouId Not Prove Serious
Here to People of Clearly Habits,
But Might Work Havoc Among the
Negroes.
The prospect for the United States re-
naming free from the bubonic plague.
which has been raging in India and the
East for more than year, and which is
NOW being scattered over the rest of the
world is not very bright one At least,
Health officer Drummer acknowledged as
much yesterday.
The bubonic plague is already in the
territory of the United States" said Dr..
Brunner You must remember that Ha-
Nai and the Philippines are now Ameri-
can territory. AT least Hawaii is, and the
Philippines do not belong to anybody else
al present The reports of the marine
hospital service show the existence of the
plague, both al Honolulu and Manila, the
disease being largely confined to the Chi
nese at present"
II is not from Hawaii and the Philip
pines however, that Dr. Drummer antici-
pates the greatest danger. The plague is
being carried by trading vessels along the
shores of the Mediterranean, spreading the
infection along the great commercial
routes from which vessels are constant
" coming to this country. Not only this,
bur the plague has made its appearance
al Santos and Rio Janeiro, in Brazil. If
there were only one or two points to be
auarded against DR.. Drummer is satisfied
that the marine hospital service would
have no difficulty in preventing the dis
ease from reaching this country, but with
the infection so widely scattered he does
not regard the outlook for total eXemp-
lion as very pleasing one.
THE Marine Hospital Service is doing
magnificent work in guarding our coasts
against the plague" said DR.. Drummer.
tit has eleven men scattered along the
Mediterranean alone, besides representa-
tives at all the danger points. The closest
watch is being k ept upon the disease and
no infected cargoeS or persons are granted
permission to come to this country"
So far as Savannah is concerned DR..
Drummer is keeping his eye on the Span
ish-American seaports. He does not ex-
pect the infection to be brought here from
Rio or Santos because no vessels from
those ports will be admitted here but he
thinks the danger lies in the Cuban ports
to which the disease is likely to be trans
ferred from Rio and Santos The condi-
tons at Havana and other Cuban ports
are mucn more favorable to the propaga-
ton of the disease than at the American
ports, With the amount of going to and
fro between Cuba and this country there
would be danger of the disease reaching
the shores of the United States from that
quarter.
The bubonic plague is a disease which
is nourished by heat and filth" said DR..
Brunner land flourishes chiefly in warm
countries where the standard of living is
very low. 1t would not prove so serious in
this country, as it was in India or even
in Europe. The better class of
whites, those accustomed to COM
Portable and clearly living, would have
but little 10 fear in my judgment. The
negroes, with their disregard for sanitary
laws, would doubtless suffer heavily. Once
given foothoQd The disease would prove
difficult to eradicate, as the infection is
conveyed by domestic animals, dogs and
cats suffering from il as well as rats, and,
perhaps poultry as we'll
While DIR. Drummer has no apprehension
OF serious trouble from this source at
present he is keeping a close watch on
the progress of the disease Throughout the
world. He also has confidence in the abil-
ity of the Marine Hospital Service to cope
with any emergency of this kind THAI may
rise
Incidentally, DIR. Drummer is giving more
attention to the smallpox epidemic, now
prevailing in several of the South Geor-
gja towns, than to the bubonic plague. He
has made several quiet trips to the sur
rounding country, and found the disease
prevailing to a greater extent than Is
generally supposed. 1t was upon his rec
ommeudation that the Sanitary Board, at
its meeting last week, adopted resolu-
ton recommending vaccination to the cit
liens generally, as wise precaution. TINS
advice has been quite generally followed
and the city physicians have been kept
busy vaecinating applicants, mostly chill
dren. The health officer has also Vaccm-
a'ed a number.