The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-15
|[EPR0sY SPREAD!
BY HOUSE L: RA I 81.
Mccoy Report Suggests That
Human Beings May Contract
Terrible Disease From Pests.
|IoTHERs SEEM DOUBTFUL
Results Of Investigation Made in
/ San Francisco Told in Notes
On Cases.
sIoTHERs SEEM DOUBTFUL
Times. Dispatch Bureau. !
Munsey Building.

Washington. D. c., July n.
That rats are subject to leprosy and
that 1t may be possible for human be-
.tings to contract this terrible disease
from the common house pest. are
tsstatements contained in a report Of Or.
George Mccoy, past surgeon of the
ssMarine Hospital Service. Or. Mccoy
S.has been stationed for some time at
3iSan francisco. where he has been en-
gagged in fighting the bubonic plague.
9sare thought to be chiefly responsible.
San Francisco and Oakland. across the
Ebay, gave b0unties for rats scalps, and
1.-THE subjugation Of the plague Is
4termined crusade made against the
Isrodents.
Il. Result OF Investigation.
II Now DR.. Mccoy comes along with his
sresport, declaring that the lcprosy-
elike disease has been found In the or
imam beings may become inoculated. He
says:
Shortly after beins assigned to the ex-
h animation OF rats at San Francssco was
he f IN
or two Instances. He also showed me gross
lenA microscopic specimens Of the LESSONS.
and 10 keep notes on its Occurrences.
port 1850 rats were examined and twenty.
liered however, that tho condition Is more
frequent than these figures indicate. as all
of the cases observed have been made in
very well marked. think 1t quite prob
,sable that have failed to detect cases in
young rats and early cases in seneral
& early state of rat leprosy were submitted
TO microscopic examination. but always with
negative results.
..The cases have come from widely sep
a
worthy that four OF them came from Butch-
ertown. three of these being from one es-
tabfIshNens. Two others came from places
only a few doors apart on Market Street.
Notes on Cnscs.
The essential lesion. or at any rate tho
ess invariably found. has been more or
less general infl;ration OF the subcutaneous
tissues and the peripheral lymph glands
with am enormous number OF fine white or
slightly yellcwish granules. At times this
ia:!tration forms a general layer. covering
( the whole surface OF the body between the
skin and muscular tissues. At other times
y Is more or less paichy IN distribution.
fat. The peripheral lymph glands are in
SSsriabls. enlarged. pale, succnlent looking.
ard upon section are seen to contain large
number OF the whitish points corresponding
IN appearance 10 the sranuies found in the
simultaneous tissues. In twb of the rats
examined the enlargement OF individual
lymph glands was remarkable.
Alopecia, more or less extensive, was
present IN 55.5 per cent. OF the cases; Ill
ceration in s3.s per cent. The discharge
from the ulcers was usually of nesty. dry
.sh character. and consisted of enormous
numbers of the bacilli and few remnants OF
cell debris. In fve cases rather large
xue. apparently caused BY fuslns OF q
large number of the sranules above men.
Relation Ito Leprosy in Man.
+ Or. Mccoy says the skin OF the animal
\ shows ntcro-or sanlsrns In large numbers
beings n.
rosy. The kidneys showed nephri.ls. The
repor; concludes as follows:
rosy in man, DR.. W. r. Brincherhor. d.
rector OF the lep-osy investigation station
Molsba T H. stated IN article
q fifteenth annual meeting OF the. Hawaiian
Territorial Medical Society as follows: THE
question Immediately arises as to whether
this disease of the rat may not be human
& course. with the data now available. 1t !.
this question. but the geographical dlstri.
4 button OF the disease speaks against an at.
] iirmative reply. II seems more probable
that rat ieprosy is TO human leprosy as /.
5 bovine or avian tuberculosis to the human
4 disease. rather than that It is like plague
FL sor FLANDERS. disease common to and trans.
+ Missile between two species
"a numberxot rats have been !noculated
\. from typical cases 6f this interesting dis.
Il ease witht the view OF making furthe,
study Of 1t, but as number OF months are
necessary lOr tue development OF the QlseaSf
in inocuated animals, considerable time
e will eiapse before 1t will be possible to as.
4 certain whether the NEGOTIATIONS have beer
successful
Destroy Lives and Money.
q The Department of Agriculture estimate.
II In a recent report that tho amount of grain
destroyed by rats In this country ever,
Y year is valued at tens OF millions OF dollars
II to this account against rats there BIZ
added that OF disseminating such terrible
diseases as leprosy and plague. their exter
nl!nat!on should become work OF the frs
importance.
IXrl,:I r. 4. nll