The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1910-12-25

disease its historic name
Venezuelan Outbreak.
The circumstances of the outbreak IN
England are almost paralleIed by those
of the reappearance of the plague in
Venezuela. In both the focus of infec-
tion seems to have been in a single
house. in South America it was a
dwelling in the parish of Santa Rosalie.
Here, also, there had been several
deaths before the health authorities
realized that the disease was bubonic
plague
When they did learn it they hastened
to the dwelling. \ wake over some of
the victims was under way. The occu-
pants were at once quarantined. Twen-
ty people found themselves prisoners in
the house with a police guard at every
door. Some of the prisoners got away
over the roofs. Twelve eases developed
IN the house with six deaths.
This has developed conditions Of near
panic. The markets are vacated, say
reports Schools, colleges and theaters
are closed. All drinking places and
clubs must end their days business at
8 o clock in the evening. The priests
are being restricted to ore mass a day.
The American charge 4 'affaires Mr..
Whitehouse, has induced the Nenezu-
elan authorities to report to him regard
ing the sanitary conditions III Caracas.
The Gomez government is said to be
doing wonders to prevent a further
spread of the disease. 1t needs money
to kill the rats, but funds are not forth
coming.
Although the plague is also believed
to spread chiefly in ships and by the
sea. the Venezuelan epidemic is said
to be in the cities of the interior and
has not reached any of the seaports.
The new epidemic. then, is apparently
fresh outbreak of previous inroads of
the disease
On the Coast.
This parallels the experience of Cali
fornia, and gives peculiar significance
TO the part that the rat plays in such
epidemics. The plague appeared in
San Francisco in 1900, and became
epidemic amongst the 14000 people
living in Chinatown.
1t took eighteen months of work to
confne it to that quarter and wipe it
out. In all 12l persons, mostly Chi
nese, were stricken and only eight re-
covered. Then San Francisco was
wrecked by earthquake and fire. Rats
were widely scattered. as the city was
being rebuilt, and found refugees in
temporary dwellings,, debris and build
ing materials.
In May, 1907, the plague reappeared
and as is apparently the case in Ven
ezuela, had an origin that could be
traced to the previous epidemic. This
time it was not confined to Chinatown,
but developed at different times in al
most every part of the city.
There were 166 cases and II deaths,
almost al of white people, many in
good surroundings and with very few
Chinese among those afflicted. This
aroused the people of San Francisco
to action A citizens health committee
of twenty FIVE members was appointed
by the mayor to work with the health
boards of the city, state and federal
governments. They spent eighteen
months a campaign against fleas and
rats and in educating the people to the
dangers around them.
Rat Traps and Poison.
The committee spent $4,000 for rat
traps and poisons. Over $4,000 went
for rat brushes. Bulletins and circu
lars were distributed to the number of
100000 teaching people to watch for
the rats and feas and destroy them.
Rats were hunted down and poisoned
by 400 inspectors and workmen. Wag
ons and cans were used to sprinkle dis
infectants wherever diseased rodents
were found Millions of pieces of
rat poison We're made of phosph