The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-10-21

most precious Of her treasures the
lofty ideas Of The sacredness Of the
family and, the holiness OF the mar.
rage tie which she inherits from the
women of the revolution. and wllo
lares to brand with the hot iron Of
her rerrobstlon the theories which are
sapplng the foundations of American
society" The said theories had to do
with what he referred to as '+the sense
less luxury. the reckless extravaganza.
and the tawdry parade 1T wealth
which are Characteristic features of
American life todly."
xiii the rats" was the counsel Civ
en- by the American edlcal Association
to authorities Of san Francisco who
are now battlulng with bubonic plague.
and the rat killer is at work success
Sally. xiii the ground squirrels, too"
was the secondary advice, which also
has been lsoted upon. Especial pains
is taken to kill rats in ships from
ports where the plague is epidemic.
From the headquarters of the Amerl-
can Medical Association in this city
the warning was issued that single
F.. . . d. s.
infected rat travelling in a wheat car
from San Francisco ii some other city
could sH,rt an epidemic; therefore
guard against rats. They are known
to become infected, and they are usual
ly infested with feas; and the fleas.
gorged with the blood of the infected
rat, bite and inoc9ate the human be-
ing, VINO then develops the disease.
SO, instead Of seeking to escape the
disease by charms, amulets or drugs,
modern science starts a campaign
against rats. In san francisco. the
entire city is divided into districts in
each one of which, force OF men Is
engaged in extermlnating the rats.
Whenever q new case Of the plague
, is reported an eStria squad OF men is
sent at once to kill all the rodents in
the vicinity. These modern ideas re-.
garding thu control and suppression IT
the worlds most dreaded disease are
SO nivel to ncst people as to be re-
cetved at first with incredulity. In
fact, California citizens for some time
looked with distrlst on the counsel
given for controlling the spread of the
plague, but the prompt control and
suppression ct the disease which fol.
lowed the determination OF the rats at
any particular point has fully con.
Ivinced the most skeptical. Modern
science has found the greatest danger
is from diseases Of which the cause
is not known. Since. 1t has been known
that yellow fever was transmitted by
the mosquito much Of the panic which
formerly Followed an outbreak OF this
disease has given way to calm and
rational but nine the less energetic
measures to control It. Shotgun quar-.
antines have become a thing of the
past Public health officers in differ.
ent parts Of the country are carefully
watching for the appearance of the
bubonic plague in their own territory
and will take Immediate and summary
action should q single case appear.
| While 1t Is not probable that the dis:
ease may spread the danger is said
to be by no means fanctful. It was
Ib,tbonic plague that centuries ago
Iswept over Europe from the East, KILL
ing millions Of people and raging un.
til it burned itself out. Vivid descfip.
Etions OF the horrors OF middle age
scenes in plaguestrlcken cities have
come down to us in the pages OF Boo.
caccio, De Foe and other writer's. In
those days people became panic stricl-
en- with fear and rushed to churches
and inconsistencies nor safety, belsyins
thai the disease came as a judgment
from Heaven, and that the cure lay In
drugs charms and arnulets.