Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-08-04
CONTRACTION SPREAD BY RATS.

That the spread of Infectious |
diseases may be due to rats, mice and |
other small animals is shown by the |
following article which appeared in
a recent issue of the Outlook:
Bubonic plague first appeared in
Manila in December, 1899, in the
Chinese quarter. Only the strictest
of port regulations and the most rig
id internal inspection held it within
bounds during the hot spells of 1900
and 1901, and saved Manila from be-
ing enlarged by American, Jap
anese, and other ports. Medical ex-
perience in the Orient goes to show
that it is very insidious disease,
that it gains steadily during hot, dry
weather, and gives way gradually
after the beginning of the rainy sea-
son, while it may be held down to
very slight increase every year for
three or four years and then suddenly
burst into an almost uncomfortable
epidemic. So, while the deaths from
plague in Manila during the hot sea-
sons Of 1900 and 1901 were averaging
but dozen week, as against fifty to
two hundred day in the unquaran
tined English port of Hongkong, yet
the constant fear was of a return
with violence in 1902.
A thorough campaign was therefore
organized last year. Rats having
been demonstrated to be the principal
carriers of the contagion, the plans
of the Japanese psychologists and
health officers were initiated, and
poison and traps were used in GUAM
titles. Rat-catching brigades were
organized under native and American
inspectors, and the whole population
was urged to bring in the rodents and
be paid five cents apiece for them.
All this seemed highly amusing to
the Spanish residents, and the wit
ticisms of Spanish newspapers found
echo amoug certain elements of the
native population. The work went
right on, however, each rat brought
in being tagged with the number and
street of the house from which he
came, dipped in carbolic acid, Their
"post- When a rat was
found to be infected with plague, the
house from which it came was
promptly made the subject of specia
inspection. AS seemed necessary, i
was disinfected, was ordered altered
to make it more sanitary, or wa
torn down altogether. New building
) regulations were being enforced a
this time, resulting in throwing opel
to the light and air a number of Chi
nese dens, while, in one case, an en-
tire Chinese sstreet" was closed
Various prominent property owner
felt themselves aggrieved, and mo-
the least trouble was found in com
polling decent conditions in som,
of the structures rented by the friars
but compensation was, of course, al
ways given for destroyed property.
The rats of Manila have not, Q
course, been exterminated, but tn
number killed has risen in Novembe
last to five thousand month, one t
four per cent. showing plague in
lection in the daily post mortems
- The plague started in earlier tina
usual during the dry seasons, the frs
: cases occurring again in December
, when the rains had hardly yet ceased
, 1t f1uctuated during the month Jan
uary. But the results of the vigorou
campaign were seen when only on
death from plague was reported dur
q ing February. May, the hotties
. month, had before been the time {
:, maximum; but it was held at nil dur
y ing March, April, and May, and i
= June the rains begin again.