The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-09-15

MvRx DIS l3teiy, IOf uBc IN III
SHVH5 business. that. in response
RN to inquiry. he has felt
&AX Obliged to explain that the
animals are wanted not foi
vivisection. but for the
manufacture of serums and antitoxins
They are dosed with small quantities
of disease germs again and again until
having been 'hyperimmunized" by
this means, their blood contains IN
anti-poison utilizable as q cure for the
malady. whatever It may be. in hu
man beings.
- Mithridates Of old. the celebrated
1dng of Pontus. was 30 afraid Of being
poisoned, that he dosed himself con
stantly with small quantities Of vari-
Ous kinds of poisons in order that he
might become in . measure proof
against them. Practically the same
method is adopted by the public
health service. which, in the manner
described. 'hyperimmunizes" such
animals as sheep. horses. cows and
rabbits. with view to the subsequent
employment OF their blood for the
cure or prevention Of disease. 1t 10
by this means. for instance. that diph-
liberia antitoxin 10 obtained.
BY the same means 1t is hoped to
secure . satisfactory serum for the
treatment or prevention Of the bubon-
sc plague. Already. In India. the
plague vaccine" has been obtained
made by breeding the germs Of the
disease In beef soup, and then killing
them by heat. the resulting fluid being
administered by hypodermic injection.
This 10 q matter of extreme impor-
Nance. inasmuch as the malady In
question is at the present time threat
ening to ravage our own country.
Our government. during the last rs
cal year. spent $3.50. 900 in fighting the
plague On the Pacific coast. and with
In the next twelve months It will ex-
pend about 100000 for the same
purpose. From this fact It may be
Judged that the situation in regard to
the bubonic disease-or black death,
~ II used to be called-in the United
states just now is far from cheerful,
notwithstanding the efforts of the
health authorities to minimize alarm
oo the subject.
! The truth IL that this most dreaded
and destructive Of all human maladies
seems to have obtained secure foot
hold on the Pacific coast, where small
epidemics Of 1t have broken out in sew
eral Of the larger cities within the last
three years. But the most serious fea.
ture Of the situation lies in the cir
cumstsnce that the bubonIc infection
has already become widely spread
among the rats Of the towns and the
ground squirrels of the rural districts
In that region.
The plague is a rat disease prima-
rily. It is conveyed to human beings
las well as to ground squirrels) by
the fiea. A iea bites plague-sick rat
and. later on, 1t bites a man. thus in
oculating the latter with the deadly
infection
1t is only through quite remarkable
good luck that the malady has not
already made its appearance at our
principal Atlantic seaports. This
may well happen. and the public
health service (which has its head
quarters at Washington) has had for
some time past complete plan of
campaign mapped out to meet such
an emergency.
Immense quantities of grain and
other merchandise are constantly be-
ing shipped from San Francisco and
other Pacific coast ports to the East.
Rats are often transported with such
merchandise, as involuntary passen-
gers, hidden in grain sacks, or other.
wise. Let one or two plague-stricken
specimens be delivered in New York
and the metropolis would be likely
soon to have an epidemic on its
hands-the first warning of the out
break being afforded by the finding Of
large numbers of dead and dying rats
about the wharves and in the streets.
To fight the mischief, If It once got
started in New York, the municipality
would be obliged to wage war of
determination against rats. This would
Involve an expenditure of many mil
lions OF dollars-much money being
required not only for the wholesale
trapping and poisoning of the animals,
but also for the ratproofing of sewers,
houses and particularly buildings used
for the storage of food supplies. Ex-
perience has shown that the only way
to get rid of such vermin is to de.
prfve them of food and hiding places.
tribution among human beings on two
tribution among human being on two
animals-the rat and the flea. 1t
serves very strikingly to illustrate
what might be called the modern 20
ological aspect Of diseases. The work.
ing laboratory of the public health
service in Washington is today, in.
deed. a sort Of station for natural his.
tory research. and an ohlcial xooloGist
DR.. Charles w. Stiles, is in charge OF
one Of its most important departments
Nowadays, when the study of dis
ease is begun. suspicious are always
entertained against one or more ami