The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-11-15

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 an
anti-poison utilizable as a cure for the
malady, whatever it may be, in hui
man beings.
Mithridates of old, the celebrated |
king of Pontus. was so afraid OF being |
poisoned, that he dosed himself con- |
stantly with small quantities OF vari- |
GUS kinds OF poisons in order that he !
might become in a measure proof !
against them. Practically the same
method is adopted by the public
health service, which, in the manner
described, OPPORTUNITIES" 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 is
by this means, for Instance, that diph-
liberia antitoxin is obtained.
BY the same means it is hoped to
secure satisfactory serum for the
treatment or prevention of the bubon-
fc 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 is a matter of extreme impor-
lance, inasmuch as the malady in
question is at the present time threat
ening to ravage our own country.
Our government. during the last ifs
cal year. spent ss5o.0o0 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 1t may be
judged that the situation in regard to
the bubonic disease-or black death,
as 1t used to be called-in the United
States Just now is far from cheerful,
notwithstanding the efforts of the
health authorities to minimize alarm
on the subject.
The truth is that this most dreaded
and destructive Of all human maladies
seems to have obtained a secure foot
hold on the Pacific coast, where small
epidemics of it 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
cumstance 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. 1t is conveyed to human beings
Gas we'll as to ground squirrels) by
the flea A flea bites plague-sick rat
and later on, 1t bites 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 we'll happen. and the public
health service (which has Its head
quarters at Washington has had fol
some time past a 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 TIE East
Rats are often transported with such
merchandise, as involuntary rsssen
gers hidden in grain sacks. or other
wise. Let one or two plague-stricker
specimens be delivered in New Yorl
and the metropolis would be likel,
soon to have an epidemic on il:
hands-the first warning of the out
break being afforded by the finding o
large numbers of dead and dying rat:
about the wharves and In the streets
To fight the mischief, if 1t once so
started in New York, the municipalit,
would be obliged to wage a war o
determination against rats. This woul,
involve an expenditure of many mil
lions of dollars-much money bein.
required not only for the wholesale
trapping and poisoning of the animals
but also for the ratproofing of sewers
houses and particularly buildings USE
for the storage of food supplies. Ey
perience has shown that the only wa.
to get rid of such vermin is 10 de
prive them OF food and hiding places
tribution among human beings on tw
1rlNUtltn tltlOuS HuiLtI uCAAS tH Nv
animals-the rat and the flea.
serves very strikingly TO illustrat
what might be called the modern &c
illogical aspect Of diseases. The work
ing laboratory of the public healt
service in Washington is today. il
deed. a sort of station for natural his
tory research. and an official zoologis
DR.. Charles ". Stiles. is In charge c
one of its most important department:
Nowadays. when the study of di'
ease is begun. suspicious are Away
entertained against one or more an
mails. as possibly accountable for III
trouble directly or indireotiy-just a
for example, the African crocodile
charged with maintaining in its bloc
the parasite of sleeping sickness
which the dreaded tsetse fly (aftt
biting the saurian. as is alleged col
veys to human beings. Similarly,
o,,r own country the malignant AM