Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-01
SAN FRANCISCO
RID OF PLAGUE
CITY CELEBRATES VICTORY OF
DR.. RUPERT BLUE
LAST OF RuBoNIc GERMS ARE
ERADIcATED
Four Hundred Citizens Gather at Mag
nifcent Banquet to Federal Hos
pital Officers Who Reno
waited Metropolis
tBy Associated Press. ]


SAN FRANCISCO, March 31.-San
Francisco celebrated officially the close
of its campaign against bubonic plague
tonight by giving a public dinner TO
DR.. Rupert Blue of the United states
hospital service and his corps OF execu-
tive officers.
Four hundred citizens gathered In
the big hall room OF the Fairmont
hotel as an expression of their appre-
citation of the work done by DR.. Blue
and his assistants. The room was APP
propriately decorated in red, white and
blue bunting, mingled with profusion
of California flowers. Among those
present were Governor Gillett, Mayor
Taylor of San Francisco DR.. Martin
Regensbergef, president of the state
board of health; DR.. Philip Mills Jones'
secretary OF the California State Medi-
cal society; DR.. N. X. Foster of the
state board of health; Passed Assistant
Surgeon w. c. Hbdy of the Angel ISL
and quarantine station, Surgeon III. W.
Austin of the San Francisco Marine
hospital and the members Of the city
board of health.
Impromptu speeches were made by
the following:
DIR. Blue, Homer S. King, chairman of
the citizens health committee. who pre-
sided; Charles s. Wheeler, who acted
as POSTMASTER; Governor Gillett,
Mayor Taylor, DR.. Regensberger DR..
I. W. Huntington or the San Fran
cisco board of health; DR.. Philip M
Jones and Walter Macarthur, prom
inent labor leader.
At the close of the dinner Mayor
Taylor, on behalf of the citizens of San
Francisco, presented DR.. Blue with a
handsome gold watch bearing the IN
scription:
ITO Rupert Blue, passed assistant
surgeon. U. S. p. II. and M. II. S., from
the citizens of San Francisco, in CRATE
full recognition of his services to the
city while in command of the SANTA
ton campaign of 1908"
Blue Much Affected
DIR. Blue was much affected by the
tribute and spoke few words OF
thanks. He said that he felt himself
an adopted son of San Francisco, and
praised the work of the citizens health
committee and the state and city
boards of health. He also paid high
tribute to his own and the other Of
ficers who aided in the campaign. He
said San Francisco was now clean anc
that her example in fearlessly attack
ing plaques should be followed by other
cities in which there is similar danger.
DIR. Blues staff of district comman-
ders, headed by Passed Assistant Sur
geon w. C. Rucker, DR.. Blues ex-
ecutive officers were presented gold
IIiGQdlS III VI taOAA
work.
Each medal bore the seal of the ma
rine hospital service and the name Of
the recipient.
The first case of plague was report
ed in May, 1907, but no more cases
were discovered until August. Then
cases appeared in rapid succession, and
Surgeon DR.. Blue was detailed. at the
request of San Francisco, to come here
and take charge of an active campaign
against the dreaded disease.
The state and local boards cooper
ated heartily with DR.. Blue and his
corps of federal assistants. A large
sum of money was subscribed and San
Francisco was given a cleaning up that
few cities have experienced.
So energetic was the fight that al
though the last case was reported as
long ago as January 30, 1908, the work
of sanitation and determination of rats
has not yet ceased.
At each guests place tonight was
volume of over 300 pages, giving the
history of the plague in. San FHncisco
and the methods used in its exterml
nation.
Copies of this book will be circu-
lated throughout the country as q
guide to communities that may desire
or find it necessary to engage in the
work of complete sanitation.
The story of the long, hard fought
campaign to rid San Francisco of its
recent epidemic of Bubonic plague is
told in an interesting report made pub
lie by the marine hospital service to-
day.
The disease was spread by a certain
breed of flea that infected the rat,
which, in turn, carried the plague
broadcast.
Approximately one million rats were
slain in the effort to wipe out the
plague. Nearly 100000 rats were exam
ined, and of this number more than
300 carried fleas infected with the dis
ease.
The campaign was directed toward
the killing of rats, disinfecting prem
Uses and ships where the plague-in-
fected rats had bean found, and pre-
venting the breeding and spread of
the pests.
There were 27s6 steamships dsin-
fected, requiring the use of 500, 900
pounds of sulphur and 4342 gallons of
alcohol; 1920 houses disinfected; 1850
suspected cases examined, and 3973
inspections Of the dead to determine
whether they had died of the plague.
UP to June 80, 1905 there had been
1859 cases of plague and n deaths.
The campaign was directed by the
marine hospital service, with the aid
of the local authorities in San Fran
olson