The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-09-04
.SEATTLE'S ATTITUDE
TOWARD PLAGUE
THE SOUND CITY NOT MUCH IN
FEAR OF CONTRACTION FROM SAN
FRANCISCO.

break in San Francisco, will be made
by the health board This was de-
cided at last evenings meeting of this
body, and the secretary was authorized
to communicate with the United States
marine hospital service officers at Port
Townsend and San Francisco, and be
advised by them about the situation
The local health board, during a pre-
vious plague, asked San Francisco city
officers for information, but found it
| impossible to work satisfactorily with
them, but the marine officers worked
in harmony with the Seattle board.
For this reason, they will be asked to
aid the local officers at this time.
/ Following the board meeting, the
matter of infection by rats was taken
up by the board members. DR.. l. M.
Harrison stated that a campaign a.
gainst rats Should not be instituted at
present, as the rats are a good bero-
meter of the disease. Should the pla-
que be carried to this city, the rats
would first become infected, and would
die off by thousands. It would be a
warning that the disease was prevalent
and a vigorous campaign against it's
spread could be made.
What methods to exterminate the
rats would be adopted is not known,
but DR.. Harrison states that there are
numerous effective methods, poison be-
ing one of the best.
That precautions should be taken by
the city against the spread of bubonic
plague from San Francisco, is the view
of Dr. Frank S. Bourns, of this city,
who was commissioner OF health of
Manila for two years Immediately af-
ter American occupation, and later
on was called back for a short time
during the cholera outbreak in 1902
A feature of his administration was
the relentless war waged against rats.
Largely as a result of this he did not
have single case of bubonic puague
while he was in charge of the city's
health.
ASlG 10 GGl ldlllly uduBtI ludI IdlS
will bring the plague to Seattle
though the extent of the danger is a
matter that will have to be determin-
ed" says DR.. Bourns. with the large
number of rats that infest the city, the
outbreak of plague would be a serious
matter.
I'm Manila we had a regular rat
killing brigade, using traps and poison.
Every rat killed was cut open and ex-
amined, and if evidence of the plague
were found on the body we would
take careful precaution against plague
in the neighborhood in which the ami
NAL was found. If it were killed in a
house, we would disinfect the house
and have all holes stopped up.
1T is a question of whether the best
thing to do here would be to start out
a war against rats from San Francisco.
If there seems to be much plague
there, the city could ascertain where
the plague-stricken districts are, if they
are close to the wharves, and watch
the vessels that come from San Fran.
cisco to see that no rats escape. By
keeping the vessels off from the docks
a little, placing tin guards over the
ropes, and drawing the gang-plank
when not in use, the probability of
rats escaping to the shore is a mini
mum. They can be killed on board
ship by carbon dioxide gas, which is
heavier than air, and can be poured
down into the hold, where it will sink
to the bottom.
In Manila the board of health would
distribute traps and poison to people
who used them to kill rats. While not
all the rats in large city can be ex-
terminated, they can be kept down
greatly.
Plague would be apt to make its
appearance here among the rats before
1t could be discovered among human
beings. A close watch on the rats
will be the surest means of finding out
when the bubonic plague gets here If
in the morning rats are found on the
streets or around the houses dead with
no apparent cause, and it is ascertain
ed that they have not been poisoned, 1t
would be time to look for the plague"
DR.. Grant Calhoun, city health Off
Ger, does not seem to treat seriously
danger of plague brought by rats from
San Francisco or the Orient. He says
that he does not think the city will
undertake crusade against the rod
ents. 1T might be a good thing for
the people Individually to kill rats,
especially along the water front, but
do not see the ACCESSIBILITY of the city
trying to exterminate them" said DR..
Calhoun yesterday. The danger, in my
opinion, is not great enough to war
rant us in going after them now"