Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-09-29


having been "hyperimmunized" by
this means, their blood contains an
antipoison 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-
tstantly with small quantities of vari-
Ious 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 1t is hoped to
secure a satisfactory serum for the
treatment or prevention of the bubon-
dc plague. Already, in India, the
plague vaccine" has been obtained
made by breeding the germs of the
them by heat, the resulting fluid being
administered by hypodermic injection.
This is a matter of extreme impor-
tance, inasmuch as the malady in
question is at the present time threat
ening to ravage our own country.
Our government, during the last fis-
cal year spent s650,OO0 in fighting the
plague on the Pacific coast, and with
in the next twelve months it will ex-
pend about $1,000,000 for the same
purpose. From this fact it may be
Judged that the situation in regard to
the bubonic disease-or black death,
as it 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 II 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
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. II is conveyed to human beings
(as we'll as to ground squirrels) by
the flea. A flea bites a plague-sick rat
and, later on, it bites a man, thus in
oculating the latter with the deadly
Infection
It is only through quite remarkable
good luck that the malady has not
already made it's appearance at our
principal Atlantic seaports This
may well happen, and the public
health service (which has it's head.
quarters at Washington has had for
some time past a complete plan OF
campaign mapped out 10 meet such
an emergency.
Immense quantities of grain and
other merchandise are constantly be-
ing shipped from San Francisco and
other Pacific coast ports 10 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 70 have an epidemic on It's
hands-the first warming 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. n Il 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 bclnr
required not only for tho wholgsale
trapping and poisoning % the animals
but also for the ratproonng of sewers
houses aud particularly buildings used
for the storage OF food supplies Tx
pericuCe has shown that the only way
20 get ria of such yermiu is 90 de-
prive them of food and hiding places
tribution among human beings on twt
tribution among human being on tW,
uuimals-the rat and tho flea 4
serves very strikngly 20 illustrate
what might be called the modern 40
ological aspect OF diseases. The work
ing laboratory Of the public healtl
service in Washington Is today Ia
deed sort of station Cor natural his
tory research. and au official xnolugial
Or Charles rs stiles "a ln charge @
one uf lts most important departments
NowadHys when the study of a dis
ease o. begun. ausplCiona are alway
entertained against one ur moro AM
mails. as possibly accountable for th
trouble directly OF Indirectly ust as
for example tho African crocodile :
charged with maintaining on its bloo
Tho parasite ~ sleeping sickness.
which ths dreaded tsetso 1y laue
blt.ns ths s1ufisH as Is gIegrdl cuf
ycya tO human beings Similarly q
our uan country the malignant uu'
mia which aiftteN hundreds go thu,
sands uf people la the south has boe