Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-22
TO END PLAGUE
Philippine Authorities Adop
Measures to End It's Spread.
EXECUTE WAR AGAINST RATS

Thousands of Rodent Animals Slain
and Examined for Traces of Plague
During Past Year-offical Rat Kill
ers Appointed to Garry Out Work.
To those Ottumwans who have fol-
lowed closely the trend of affairs in
the Philippines or have watched the
| improvement of conditions of life in
the archipelago that have come
through the adoption of American adj
ministration, the attempt of the au-
thorities to stamp out the traces Of
the bubonic plague have doubtless
been noted with considerable interest
Medical authorities who have made a
study of conditions in connection with
the plague have been convinced that
| its spread is often due to the rodent
animals. In view of this fact, it is re-
ported from the Philippines that the
civil government in its efforts to stamp
out the plague has reduced rat catch
mig to an exact science.
Thousands of dollars were spent in
the work, which was carried out sys-
tematically in all parts of the city at
once through force OF more than
1900 official rat catchers."
The heavy increase in plague for the
year 1901 justified the apprehension
that severe epidemic would occur in
| 1902. Strenuous efforts We're made to
improve the general sanitary condition
OF the city, but the inhabitants Of the
Chinese residents and the lower class
of Filipinos were such as to render the
enforcement of proper sanitary regu-
lations well nigh impossible
| On account OF the important part
which house rats are known to play
in the distribution OF the bubonic
plague, the systematic campaign was
inaugurated against these rodents Po-
licemen, sanitary inspectors, and spec
tally appointed rat catchers were fur
nished with traps and poison, and both
traps and poison We're distributed to
private individuals under proper re-
strictions. A bounty was paid for all
rats turned over to the health authori-
ties and stations were established at
convenient points throughout the city
where they could be received. Each
rat was tagged with the street and
number OF the building or lot from
which it came, was dropped into a
strong antiseptic solution, and eventu-
ally sent to the biological labratory,
where it was subjected to a bacteri-
illogical examination for plague.
During the first two weeks Is per
cent of the rats examined were found
to be infected. This proportion sud-
denly increased, reaching the alarming
maximum of 2.3 per cent in October.
At this time numerous rats were found
dead of plague in the infected districts
and in view of the fact that epidemics
of plague among the rats of the city
in the past had been uniformly fol
lowed by epidemic among human be-
| ings, the gravest apprehension was
felt the rapid spread Of the disease
among the rats after the weather had
/ become comparatively drier being a
particularly unfavorable symptom.
/ Plague houses were thoroughly dis
infected, and their owners were COM
PEELED under the direction of the as
sistant sanitary engineer, to make nee
essary alterations. Cement ground
floors were laid, double walls and
double ceilings. affording a refuge for
rats, were removed, defects in plumb
ing were remedied, whitewash was lib
orally used. and in general, nothing
was left undone that could render
buildings where plague had occurred
safe for human occupancy. Buildings
incapable of thorough disinfection and
renovation were destroyed. Buildings
in which plague rats were taken were
treated exactly as were those where
the disease had attacked the human
Ion fo o1<
inlation OF rats enabled the board of
health to follow the pest into his most
secret haunts and fight it there, and
was the most important factor in the
winning Of the great success which
was ultimately achieved.
or the 10000 rats sent to the labor
atory, 1866 were examined micro
scopically for bacilli, and of these PAP
were in tested with plague. 1t was
observed that from November the per-
centage of rats infected with plague
rapidly decreased. During November
and December, on certain days, plague
rats amounted to 3 or per cent of
those delivered, but they diminished
to about one-tenth of l per cent dur
4 ing the latter part of February, and
i finally disappeared altogether during
the early part of March.
During the month OF February the
aggregate number of traps set
amounted to G5,379 and that of plates
CT rat bane placed to 403,7S9. The
streets of each district were visited in
order, and traps and bane placed in
each house for three days and nights
consecutively. The following methods
were employed for catching or de.
stroying rats; First, traps baited with
bacon, fish, cheese, meat scraps or
boiled rice. Second, by hand In this
ease the rat catchers run their arms