New-York tribune., 1908-01-21
PLAQUES GRIP SHAKEN
NEW DANGER IN SPRING.
San Francisco Waging a Silent but
Relentless Var on Rats.
[From a spee!nI correspondsnt Of Tne TrIbune

| San Francisco Jan. 15.-The energetic work Of
| the surgeons of the United States Public Health
! and Marine Hospital Service Under Dr. Rupert
| Blue seems to have checked the bubonic plague
at this port. There have been 134 cases of actual
| plague to date and seventy-two deaths The
gradual falling off since the epidemic reached its
| height in September shows the effect of the
| crusade and is most encouraging Here are the
| figures cases by months
| August, 13: September. 80. October, 80: No
vember. 80; December. s: January Us days. l.:
| total 1874
| Although the number of new cases has dwin-
| died to practically nothing and the plague hos
| pitai on the outskirts Of the Mission district
| holds few but convalescents, the fight is by no
| means over The scale will turn upward as
soon the cold weather is over and the spring
will the plague fighting force busy as
ever.
Dr. Blue has a company of $50 men busy on a
campaign of rat determination. Since the gov
ernment doctors took charge about the middle
of September more than 10000 flea bearing rats
have been trapped. No one can even roughly
estimate the number of rats which died from
poison. The sewer men report that they see
| thousands of dead rats in the sewers. The
weekly catch in the government traps runs about
$500, but there has unquestionably been great
diminution in the rat population
The plague laboratory under DR.. Stansfed
and DR. Wherry is of the busiest depart
ments. In addition to examining all human
cases, from 1900 to 1000 rats are examined each
week. Large quantities Of Danysz virus are
prepared each week and placed in rat runs and
holes. This virus causes a disease among the
rodents known as mouse typhoid" and kills
large numbers. 1t is a bouillon culture Of the
bacillus typhi muriun. discovered by NJ. Danysz.
a French physician. and is harmless to man and
domestic animals 1t is difficult 10 prepare and
DR.. Blue does not rely it entirely.
Great success has been obtained from the
of phosphorus paste as a poison 1t consists of
a rare bit of cheese mixed with lard, flour and
10 per cent of phosphorus spread bread
Sometimes a 40 per cent arsenic substitute is
used
From the day the government took charge the
greatest care has been taken for the isolation of
all victims OF the disease and the disinfectiOn
Of all infected houses. The authorities even dis
infect houses In which plague sick rats are
found. In other words the rat plague is treated as
the human plague. Difficulty has been found in
arousing public opinion TO the necessity of keep
ing premises free from garbage. which would
remove the rats largest food supply.
The Pacific Coast has great reason TO fear
this bubonc spectre, and San Francisco is Civ
ing 1t as little publicity as possible. but the
public health doctors sending out circulars
and giving lectures. They appear before COM
merciaI bodies. literary societies. Improvement
clubs-in fact. wherever they can find an audi
ence. The lectures are given every attention
and much good results This educational work
is being directed by Lieutenant Rucker.
The Merchants Association and the Chamber
OF Commerce of San Francisco have given the
government doctors loyal support. The people
Roosevelt. Secretary Cortelyou and Surgeon Gen
eral Wyman for the service of surgeons The
government has assumed practically all the
pense Of the eradication Of the plague, beginning
in November. 1t is realized at Washington that
the problem is a national one In an interview
with The Tribune correspondent to-day Dr.
Blue said:
THE prevention of the shipment OF infected
rats into non-infected territory is of the utmost
Importance In plague times the authorities
should make every effort 10 prevent rats making
their way board vessels. This is necessary
70 prevent the spread of the disease TO other
ports and TO obviate the placing of quarantines
by other cities. To accomplish this freight
should be stored in rat proof and rat free ware
houses Piers may be protected by a draw
bridge which is raised by night. and by sur
rounding the freight with high metal fences and
the placing OF rat guards on the joists and
rafters.
Too much stress cannot be laid upon the
ground squirrel possible factor in the dis
semination Of plague. Laboratory experiments
have proved that they susceptible to the
disease, and in my own experience have seen
at least one case the history of which indicated
that 1t was contracted in this way
Passing from the consideration OF rat plague
to human plague. the prophylactic measures TO
be adopted TO protect men are: The early dis
covery and isolation Of all sick of plague, the
seven days and their protection by innunizing
doses of Yersin's Haffkne's prophy-
Tactic The earliest as well the surest way
to discover the existence Of the disease among
the living is the careful examination of all dead
by physicians skilled in the diagnosis OF plague.
In plague times every municipality liable TO the
disease should pass ordinances forbidding the
removal OF dead bodies which have not been
viewed by trained medical inspector and de-
clared not infected with plague.
"An persons dying of plague should be Gre
mated or buried IN quicklime in metal collins.
1t should be a routine practice 10 require a
necropsy on the bodies of all persons dying
after a short Illness of pneumonia. typhoid fever
or from undetermined causes Cases presenting
palpable glands or petechial eruptions should
be viewed with suspicion and the diagnosis de-
termined by post-Inortem examination
coRrELYoU ON CUSTOM HOUSE SALE.