The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-02-22
FRISCO'S
PLAGUE
SOME ADVICE AND A WARNING
FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO
BOARD OF HEALTH.

BOARD OF HEALTH.
The San Francisco Board of Health
is sending the following circular to
physicians:
San Francisco, Cal, Jan. 10, 1908.
Dear Doctor: We wish to enlist
your personal cooperation in the cam
paign of education of the public in re-
gard to bubonic plague, which we have
determined to enter upon. VIII you
kindly inform your patients of the fol-
lowing facts:
In the first place that we have bu-
bonic plague in this city, as is shown
absolutely by the evidence of clinical
investigation, post-mortem eXamina-
ton, and archaeological research.
2nd That the main dissemination of
the disease is the rat and it's parasite.
In all larger outbreaks of plague, dis
eased rats have been found, and the
disease in rats has preceded the occur
renee of cases in man. In this city
it has again been observed that diseas-
4
tain quarters, and that the human
cases followed some time afterwards
It is, therefore, necessary to eXtermin-
ate all rats so far as that is possible.
In order to effect this end, the people
should assist the workers of the Mar
inc Hospital Service as much as posi-
BILE. Foremen of the working crews
are provided with badges as a means
of identification. The people should
rid their premises Of rats by trapping
and poisoning. All rat food, such as
garbage, etc, must be removed. Pend
ing removal, it should be kept in metal
lined buckets, with tight metal covers,
as provided by ordinance. All VIOLA
lions of this ordinance will be punish
ed. All breeding places of rats, such
as rubbish, etc, should be removed
Empty spaces under houses must be
cleaned.
The best means of making a house
absolutely rat-proof and prevent al
most certainly the possibility of infec-
ton from plague, is by concreting the
basement under the whole area OF the
house, and running up rat-proof con-
crete side walls to a height of about
two feet above the ground. In cities
where there were larger epidemics, 1t
has been shown that such houses are
absolutely safe.
3rd. That one of the most important
means of transmission of the disease
from the rat to man, is the flea. Ihe
Indian Plague Commission demon
strated beyond the shadow of doubt,
that feas take up the virus and trans
nit it to healthy rats or guinea pigs.
They also demonstrated that there are
certain rat fleas which will attack
man. The ordinary flea of man, the
pulex irritans, fortunately does not
seem to feed on rats Fleas can be
avoided by personal and general clean
illness; by hopping the floor with
weak solution of crude carbolic acid
and, least of all, by insect powder
We would deem it great courtesy
on your part if you would not only dis
seminate' this knowledge among pa
tients requiring your services, but il
you would make it business to visit
the more influential members of your
clientele in order to talk the matter
over with them.
So far, we have had 13 verified
cases of plague since May 81, 1907; o.
these, there were in August, IA; il
September, SO; in October, 30; in No
vember, 3d. and in December, 8. We
have now only two verified cases a
= the Isolation Hospital.
The falling off of the cases in De
cember is, to a certain extent, due t.
the wet and cold weather which drives
1 the rats to shelter, and interferes witt
the activities of the flea. We hope
= however, that it is partly due to thu
work which has already been done
, and in this hope we should find the in
centive for redoubed energy in this dl
= rection. This is all the more neces
sary since, although the human cases
have declined, the number of diseased
rats found has been on the increase
during the last month, and the area o.
rat infection also is increasing. I'm
less we get rid of the rat infection II
- the course of the winter, we shall hay,
to expect a renewed and perhaps more
- violent outbreak of the disease II
, spring Very truly yours,
VIM. OPHULS, NJ, d.,
President Board of Health