The Washington times., 1901-07-29
A UNIVERSAL WAR ON RATS
Spread of Bubonic Plague in japan
Attributed to the Rodents
A Suggestion for General Adoption
of Energetic Measures Inauxurat-
ed There-Hongkong and other
Chinese Ports BADLY Affected.


ed There-Hongkonx and other
Chinese Port. BADLY Affected.
Recent advices received by mail ut the
State Department Indicate the great fear
Of plague which Is entertained In Japan
and the drastic measures which the au-
thorities in some of the larger cities there
have taken against infection and to pre-
vent the dread scourge from obtaining
foothold in the Island Empire. The Sc
rious outbreaks in Hongkong and For
mosa, and the discovery of a few isolated
cases Nagasaki not long ago, have thor
oughly aroused the Japanese and they are
determined to use every precaution pos
sible against an Introduction of the dis
ease. The discovery in Tokyo OF dead
rats infected with the plague has led
the authorities of Kobe. Nagasaki and
other cities to inaugurate a ceaseiess war
! fare for the determination of these pests.
which, 1t is believed, spread the disease
T, when once 1t breaks out in any commune
| ty The city of Kobe has been especially
| active in this respect While Hongkong
| Bombay. Cape Town. and other places
have been seriously threatened with an
| epidemic of the disease. Osaka. Kobe.
Wakayama, and other Japanese cities
have met with marked success in stamp
| ing it out, and their methods have at
| tracted the attention OF the authorities
| in some OF the English colonies In India
and China, particularly in Hongkong.
This success in fighting against the
| disease is attributed by the Japanese
| largely to the relentless warfare which
| they have kept up against the rats and
which has been prosecuted with all pos
sible vigor. The Japanese plague ex-
perts are convinced of the large share
of the guilt borne by the rats in the
| spread of the disease, and. indeed, uni
versai eIort to exterminate the vermin
has been urged by some OF them At
| first a small reward was offered by the
authorities for every rat dead or alive
brought to the city pound and turned
| over to the officer in charge to De burned
This resulted in a large number Of these
pests being brought in, and the reward
was increased in the month OF May from
2 to sen, and all rats alike were ex-
| amined for plague germs instead OF the
dead ones only, as before. All were paid
for at the price fixed upon by the city
authorities
The work of capturing rats for sale to
the city became quite lucrative pursuit
for small boys. and even for men, who
for the reward they obtained for their
captures used all manner Of ingenious
devices for snaring the rodents. During
the latter part of the month of May the
daily average of rats turned into the
pound at Kobe was between 700 and 500.
Now the city is almost free from the
vermin, and it is also noted that there is
no trace of bubonic plague. The authon-
ties Believe that with ordinary precaution
against the Introduction of the disease
there is little danger of an epidemic. If
an isolated case should appear. they be-
lieye that infection could now be pre-
vented
The houses of the poorer classes in these
Japanese cities are being medically in
spected from time to time and cleaned
under police superintendent. They have
also adopted the practice of inocuiation
among persons susceptible of contracting
the disease. On June l, last. more than
26.5o9 persons had been inoculated with
the anti ti-pIague serum in Kobe alone.
This is done as a method OF precaution.
although as a rule the physicians do not
believe that il gives immunity for longer
than one year. 1t is, however. part
of the radical measures which the Cow
ernment has taken for the purpose oil
preventing a spread of the plague
The authorities in Hongkong. which has
been seriously threatened with an epi-s
Ol tTe plague, pccii
studying the methods of prevention pur-
sued by the Japanese. They have begun
a warfare against the rats but in this re-
spect have not met with as much success
as did their Japanese neighbors- 1t IS
explained that the difficulties of coping
with the vermin are much greater in
Hongkong than in Kobe, for Instance.
by reason of the large amount of ship
ping done. Moreover. the plague had
gotten a firm hold on the place before
the continuous warfare against the
rodents was begun The drainage system
of the city is also one which fosters the
harboring of rats. and makes it a labor
ious task to exterminate them