The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-01-14
BUBONIC PLAGUE
May Invade the United States Dur.
ing the Present Year.
AND THE WAR DEPARTMENT
Is Preparing for Possible Campaign.
The Destruction of ALI Rats
Is the First Thing
to Do.

a Washington special to The State
says although there is little apprehen-
sion that thenumerous cases Of bubonic
plague which have recently appeared
at MaZatian and other towns in
Mexico will spread to this country,
the war department has been sup
piled with detailed information by
the board Of public health Of Manila
as to the most effective means OF Grad
icating tie plague, which will prove
of great value in the event Of an emer-
gency. The first case OF the plague
was discovered in Manila, Dec. 26,
1899, and from that date until March
6, 1902, when the disease was finally
stamped out, there were 145 cases in
the Philippine city. Destruction Of
all the rats in the city, or as many as
possible, was early determined upon
by the health officials in view OF the
association between the plague and
the rodents. From September, 1901,
until the disappearance Of the plague
an active war was waged against rats,
body Of Filipinos known as the
Rat Catchers Corps being organized
for the purpose, under che direction
of the chief health inspector. Armed
with rat traps and rat bane the corps
divided into squads Of two were dis
tributed throughout the various Sani-
tary districts OF Manila, each squad
being in command of a chief who be-
came responsible for the placing Of
traps and bane and the collection Of
material. In addition per capita
fee Of 5 cents, Mexican. was paid for
every rat sent to the government
laboratory by persons not in the regu-
lar rat catchers corps. AS result Of
this warfare $4,000 rats were caught
alive and several hundred thousand
by poison.
Rules and regulations were drawn
up for the governing of the rat
catchers and infraction Of them was
followed by dishonorable dismissal
from the corps. Each member of
the corps was required to wear a
prescribed uniform consisting Of
blouse, trousers and cap OF
uniform material selected by
the commissioner Of public health and
a brass shield over his left breast bear
ing the insignia OF the corps and the
number of the wearer This uniform
had to he worn whenever the catcherS
were on duty, though they were per-
mitted to appear in civilians clothing
at other times.
Members Of the corps were required
to report daily at 10 a. m. to the office
of the chief sanitary inspector Of each
district for the purpose Of receiving
instructions and submitting reports.
Each squad was provided with two
galvanized iron buckets with covers.
one for carrying the disinfection solu
tiOn and the other for receiving the
dead rats. One hundred rat bane tins
and receptacles for carrying the same
completed the kit Of each squad. The
rat bane used was prepared fresh
every day at the municipal laboratory,
whittier the dead rodents were return
ed for examination and cremation.
The catcherS went on duty at S p.
m. every evening and came off at $50
a. m., covered the entire city distri
buting rat bane. Beginning not later
than $50 the next morning this bane
was removed by the morning relief.
In making their rounds the corps col
lected all the dead rats on the premis-
es visited, disinfecting them in the
solution furnished, after which they
were tagged and turned over to the
laboratory for final disposition. In
distributing the rat bane which was
of course deadly poison to the mem
bers Of the corps were charged to warn
the inmates Of the various houses Wis
tied of the danger involved, advising
them to keep domestic pets and chill
dren closely guarded during the pre-
Scribed hours for batting rats.
Of the 10000 rats sent to the labo-
ratory, 40, ,6G6 were examined micro
scropically for bacilli and Of these
only 242 were infested with plague.
In February Of last year the num-
Der Of traps set aggregated 6a,-
80. In addition to batting rats
in traps with bacon, fish, cheese,
meat scraps or boiled rice, the
corps caught a great number by hand.
The rat catchers would run their arms
into the holes, rat runs and sewers and
catch the rodents after they had been
driven out from under shacks that
were removed. Several Of the catcherS
were severely bitten by the more Wig
orouS rodents. though none of the in
iuries resulted fatally. \ third meth
Cd employed was by means Of nets
placed over holes ard sewers into
which the rats had been driven by hot
water carbolic solution OF the fumes OF
sulphur. Among the poisons used with
success We're prepared rat cheese; rat
bane: a mixture Of ground glass, flour
corn meal, sirup, with l per cent. OF
strychnine; ground rusty bacon or
boiled rice with 60 per cent. Of arsen-
ious acid; and equal parts of flour and
plaster Of parts with i dish of water
on the side.
Because Of the character OF the Ma
Mia buildings and their crowded con-
dition, the rodents were afforded every
opportunity to flourish. All rats sent
to tue municipal laboratory were mi
croscopically examined and as each
rodent was tagged it was possible to
trace back the infected ones TO the
house where they were caught. All
such houses were treated as if the
inmates had been infected with, the
plague. Since the plague appeared in
Manila cases have occurred or rats in
fected with the disease have been
caught in 800 houses and the owners
Of each Of these were required by the
board Of health to remodel the struc-
lures, cleanse them and put them IN
I