Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08
I8 STRICKEN
WITH PLAGUE
SAN FRANCISCO HOPES TO STAMP
OUT DISEASE
WAR ON RATS is DECLARED
THROUGHOUT CITY
Board of Health Has Resigned, Owing
to Inability to Agree-Govern-
ment Expert Will Direct
Sanitary Affairs

b. Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. Lone add
tional case of bubonic plague was chartec
today by the board of health ana toul
more suspects have been isolated ana are
under observation. The board mas az
tllorized the establishing OF temporary
hosnitaI Camp at Ingleside Whence the
inmates of the city and county hospitals
will be removed and the latter buildings
which are old frame structures long age
condemned, will be burned.
Trs. McConkey, Harvey, Manning
Power and President Simons, composing
the board of health, have submitted tnell
destinations to Mayor Taylor and 1t is
understood that their successors will be
appointed next week. Dissension in the
board as to the advisability OF certain
measures proposed for the eradication OF
the plague and a feeling on the part OF
at least one member that the new mayor
should have opportunity to appoint a
board of his own choice, actuated the
designations.
The board, at meeting today attended
by President Ragensberger of the state
board of health and Col. Austin OF the
marine hospital service, adopted a report
Of the plague situation prepared by Health
Officer watkins 1t is in part and SUD-
stance as follows:
To Silence AIarmists
sfRecause alarniist reports which are
unwarranted by the facts regarding the
public health of San Francisco have ap-
peared in the public prints of other cities
it is deemed expedient to give out OIL
cially a statement of the facts which have
been from the first visible on the bulletin
board of the central health office.
.,The first case of bubonic plague ap-
peared on May q at the United states
marine hospital the victim being a Fin
nish sailor taken from the tug WIZARD.
Thereafter no cases appeared in the city
until August 12, when two cases were re-
ported from the North Beach district.
Immediately the officials of all hos
pitals and dspensaries were warned 10
be on the lookout for similar cases, Win
the result that to date eighteen authehuc
cases in all have been reported Ot these
eighteen cases nine are still living ana
in a fair way to recover.
''There EXISTS today no doubt OF the
cause of the so-called bubonic plague, nor
of the means by which it may be eradi-
Gated. Wherever international commerce
exists and in proportion to the volume or
the commerce, the rat and the diseases
of the rat, one of which is plague, are
bound to appear. There are said to be
some five varieties of rat flea, of which
two will bite men. The plague basillus
Is transmitted by the flea of these two
varieties to men. Other modes OF 1n1ec-
tion exist, but are very much less fire.
quent.
Rats Are Numerous
.,rhe common rat is said to propagate
every five weeks and thrives in proper
tion as it's surroundings are unsanitary,
AS a consequence of the unusual condl-
tfons which have obtained in San Fran
cisco since the fire, rats have propa-
gated to an unusual degree
''The problem which confronts the
health authorities, then, is plain and pre-
sents no insurmowntable difficulties.
Sanitary nuisances must be abated and
rats caught or poisoned. 1t is proposed
TO go about getting these results in the
following ways, which proved highly ef-
fective here in stamping out the similar
outbreak of the disease several years ago.
''Every vessel which leaves or enters
California port is fumigated with sui
phur AS a result no rat which enters a
ship in San Francisco or elsewhere,
leaves it alive. The lines which make
fast the vessels to the wharves are fitted
with rat guards.
Care of Patients
"When a person presents the symptoms
of plague he is at once removed to the
isolation pavilions. The room previously
occupied is rendered air-tight and fumi-
gated with sulphur, then washed and
sprayed with carbolic acid solution. The
contents of the room are burned. The
rest of the house is similarly disinfected.
The names of all persons residing there
are taken, also of all persons who had
come into intimate contact with the pa
tient, in order that they may be kept
under medical supervision during the fol-
lowing ten days, the period in which the
disease If present would make its ap-
pearance.
"When deemed wise the place of habi-
tation, if a shack, is destroyed by fire.
Many such :shacks are maintained in de-
fance; Of the law, and it is the intention
TO destroy all of them which lie within
the boards jurisdiction.
''All rats caught or found dead are
ticketed, and microscopically examined.
When plague infection is found, the place
and locality from which the rodent came
is at once subjected to sanitary attack
For this purpose the city has been dis
tricted and offlcered.
SAT the international congress Of
physicians at Lisbon, Portugal, in 1906
It was declared that the safeguarding of
communities against plague should be
an lnterndtlondl IuHcIoh' INSCoSHlAlhS
the validity of this opinion the mayor of
San Francisco requested the federal gov
ernment to assume control of the situa-
tion here. This request has been granted"
DR. Rupert Blue of the marine hospital
service and authority on plague eradica-
tions, who has had charge of the santa
tion of the Jamestown exposition, will
arrive here from Washington next Tues-
day or Wednesday and assume official
charge.