Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-09
fourteenth century, taking off twenty

fourteenth century, taking off twenty
five million people,
Scientists now know that the dead
ly disease generally Is conveyed to
human beings through the bite of fleas
that have fed on infected rats The
discovery of the plague germ is credit
ed to Japanese doctor. And the
agency OF the rat-inscct in the pro-
pagation of the disease has since been
fully demonstrated. The germs. how
ever, does not contine themselves u
the blood of rats. They may live in
the life fluid of squirrels and other
rodents for years. This Is one of the
latest important discoveries as re-
CARDS the plague.
Concerning the epidemic In San
Francisco. the contributor to Golfers
says;
.'The plague was introduced into
San Francisco, in lB00-its first APP
pearance in this country--from tnu
orient. The first case was in March.
1900. About six months later 1t ap-
pcared in Glasgow. Scotland. In san
Francisco in four years they had 10
cases. Every summer and winter
few cases developed, just as every
where else in the first stage. There
was public indignation at first because
of the announcement by the lnedicsl
authorities of the presence of plague.
DIR. Kinyon of the United States PUB
lie health and Marine Hospital Service
was arrested and enjoined from tax
l,,,r 20 ON or nj
the time. The diagnosis of the physi-
clans was disputed by the newspapers.
It was confined to Chinatown in tna
vicinity of from twenty to forty blocks
during those four years, where the last
case occurred on February, 20. 1908.
The second outbreak occurred after
the earthquake and fire. 1t was dis
covered on May 81. 1907. in the case
of q sailor in the Government Marine
Hospital In San Francisco. He had
been on the tug Wizard In the bay. He
was living in sailors boarding house
on Stewart street, and was brought
to the hospital sick. On the 18th OF
August five cases were discovered. the
first since May. The cases multiplied
while the authorities fused and funed
."rhe old Schmidt board of health
was In charge 1t passed resolutions,
transcribed them in book, but re-
politics got mixed up with the plague,
and anti-plague measures, of course,
got the worst of 1t for q while. Four
teen cases III all occurred In August,
IS III September 40 In October, about
80 in November, and 10 in December'
up to Jan. 30. 1908, 100 all told, Win
III deaths. The disease was not REIN
ported. 1t was a recrudescence or re.
awakening OF the earlier germ lett
undestroyed. Some believe 1t enanat-
ed from the country. among the ground
squirrels. The most commonly accept
ed theory Is that the fire succeeding
the earthquake scattered the rats ana
caused the Infection to become Wldc-
spread. In any event, It was scattersu
all over the city. While the first out
break In 1900 was confined to CHINA
town and to the Chinese and Japanese,
the second outbreak WIS almost eXclu-
siyelv among the white population. OUT
OF the SO cases there were eightChi-
nese, and three of these cases. at least,
were traced to the homes of the whites
where the Chinese were employed. Two 80
Oakland. The death-rate IN San Fran
cisco in both epidemics was uniformly
a little less than fifty three per cent
quite high for plague among Whlte
population. showing maglignant type
Of the disease
san Francisco finally was aroused
to tho danger that threatened and en-
tered upon n campaign of cleanliness.
Money was spent In destroying refuse
and making buildings rat-proof. OAK
land joined in the crusade to its own
benefit. The flea pest rapidly aoated
and the percentage of deaths from or
binary diseases decreased when back
yards were cleaned up and the refuse
destroyed. In the year ending July i,
1907, preceding the plague outbreak,
the mortality OF Oakland had been APP
6proxlmately 2,100 In the year ending
July /. 1908, the total mortality from
all causes was 1856. The total NOR
tally from preventable diseases in 1907
was 76O; in 1908. $50. And, further,
after sanitary measures had been in
operation nine months, the merchants
were losing only about twenty-five per
cent of what they had previously lost
in many perishable commodities.
With such results gained, Mr.. Con-
molly well says:
PAY no attention to the up and down
conservative who ridicules the scientific
discoveries of recent years which look
to the health OF the nations. These dis
covcries are worth more in the sum of
human happiness than. for instance,
the modern uses Of electricity and tho
flight of airship or automobile. Laws
should be framed In the exposed cities,
compelling tho foundation Of every
building to be constructed in such II
manner that rats cannot harbor OF
breed or feed about them.
The disease should be built out OF
existence. Every city has its back
yard, as san Francisco found she had
when she looked for it, A disregard
OF everybody aud everything not in the
ring has for too long come to be the
settled policy OF our municipal bodies.
The Machine usually has little time
to entertain science or sanitation. It Is
too busy with practical politics"