The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-17
KOBE AND
THE PLAGUE
A Vigorous War
Made Against
Rodents.

YOKOHAMA, June 5.-The Kobe
Chronicle says: The serious re-
crudescence of plague in Hongkong
and Formosa has naturally led the au-
thorities in Japan to take precautions
against the introduction of the disease
from obroad or its outbreak here. With
this in view the authorities in Kobe
have commenced an examination of all
the rats captured and brought TO the
local police stations or to the city Of
flee. Previously such examination was
only made in the case of rats found
dead, but now the examination is made
in every case whe$e rats are caught,
alive or dead. With this object DR.
Murata formerly an assistant in Dr..
Kitasato's laboratory in Tokyo. has
been engaged, and the examination is
conducted under his superintendence.
The number of rats arriving every day
at the laboratory. which is situated at
the central police headquarters in
Shimoyamate-d -dori is very large. Since
the 9th of May reward of 5 sen has
been paid for every rat brought in,and
the rise from sen TO 5 sen has eVi-
IDENTIFY encouraged a vigorous hunt,
for arrivals have numbered between
seven and eight hundred per day, the
actual number received at the labora-
tory from the police stations between
the 9th and 9th of May being 1922
The rats are usually brought alive to
the various police stations in cages, but
the fact Of their being living or dead
when purchased is noted They are
then killed and a wooden tag attached
to the neck. giving the name of the per-
son bringing the rat, the house where
it was caught and other particulars of
Identification. on the arrival at the
laboratory the rats are first STEPPED in
a solution of carbonic acid and then
the assistants take each rat and cut
from it certain of the internal organs.
placing the parts removed into a, glass
receptacle together with the wooden
tag. Thence the glass receptacles are
taken to another table. and after GER
tain preparations their contents are
placed under a powerful microscope
and closely examined. If any doubt re-
mains. a culture is prepared, and a
further test is the incubation of white
mice numbers of these poor creatures
in various stages of experimentation
being kept in cages round the walls, as
we'll as guinea pigs and several beautf-
full white rabbits, the latter. however
only being employed as subjects of ex-
pertinent in the last resort.
DR. Murata. who is in charge Of the
precautionary arrangements in Kobe
has had considerable experience as as
sistant to the Institute for Infectious
Diseases at Tokyo. where the famous
Professor Kitasaro is director, and was
chief physician Of the medical commits
sion sent by the Japanese Government
to Newchwang at the time the plague
broke out there. On being seen, DR..
Murata readily gave all the information
in his possession, and it is quite clear
from the energy which he devotes and
the interest he displays in the whole
question that Hyogo prefecture is ex-
tremely fortunate in securing his ser
vices.
MARK TwAIN'S POSITION.
YOKOHAMA. June 5.-Whatever ore
may think of the logical force Of Mark
Twains arguments in the attack he
IS making upon the mission boards,
there can be no gainsaying the fact
that his word has tremendous weight
with the American public, and that IL
is destined TO exercise momentous
influence upon that popular feeling up
on which the boards have been obliged
to rely for funds to carry on their
work. II is not simply that with his
reputation as the greatest humorist OF