The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-09-16

vivisection, but for the
manufacture of serums and antitoxins.
They are dosed with small quantities
Of disease germs again and again untH'
having been "hyperimmunized by
this means, their blood contains an
anti-poison utilizable as a cure Tor the
snalady, whatever 1t may be, IN hu-
man beings.
M%ithridates of old, the celebrated
Ring of Pontus, was so afraid of being
poisoned, that he dosed himself con
stantly with small quantities OF varl-
Gus kinds of poisons in order that ne
might become in a measure PROOF
against them. Practically the same
method Is adopted by the pupllc
health service, which. in the manner
described, OPPORTUNITIES sucn
animals as sheep, horses. cows
rabbits with a view to the subsequent
employment of their blood for the
cure or prevention Of disease. 1t ID
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-
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 q 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 $3.50, 900 in fighting the
plague on the Pacific coast, and with
in the next twelve months 1t will ex-
pend about 81. 900, 900 for the same
purpose. From this fact 1t 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
und 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
eraI of the larger cities within the last
three years. But the most serious fea-
fure of the situation lies In the cir
.rsImstance 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-
rfIy. 1t is conveyed to human beings
Gas we'll as to ground squirrels) by
the flea. A flea bites a ~plague-sick rat
and, later on, 1t bites a man, thus In
oculating the latter with the deadly
infection.
LIT 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 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 ane
other merchandise are constantly be
ing shipped from San Francisco ant
other Pacific coast ports to the East
Rats are often transported with suci
merchandise, as involuntary passen
gers. hidden in grain sacks, or other
wise. Let one or two plague-str1cke1
specimens be delivered In New Yorl
and the metropolis would be hkel.
soon to have an epidemic on 1T
hands-the first warning OF the ou'
break being afforded by the finding Q
large numbers Of dead and dying rat
about the wharves and In the streets
To fight the mischief, If it once 60
started in New York, the municipal1t
would be obliged to wage a war c
determination against rats. This woul
involve an expenditure of many mi
lions of dollars-much money bein
required not only for the wholesal
trapping and poisoning of the animal
but also for the %ratproof1ng Of sewer
houses and particularly buildings use
for the storage Of food supplies. f.
p~erience has shown that the only wa
TO get rid of such vermin is to d
prive them Of food and hiding place
tribution among human beings on tv
fribution among human being on tw
animals-the rat and the flea.
serves very strikingly to fllustra
what might be called the modern z
illogical aspect Of diseases. The wor
fng laboratory of the public heal
service in Washington Is today, !
deed, a sort of station for natural h
tory research, and an official zoologi'
Dr. Charles w. Stiles, is in charge
one of its most important department
Nowadays, when the study of a d
ease is begun, suspicious are alwa
entertained against n or more a
mails, as possibly accountable for t
trouble directly or indirectly-just
FOR example, the African crocodile
charged with maintaining In its bio
the parasite of sleeping sickness
which the dreaded tsetse fly (af
s,iting the saurian, as is alleged) c.
views to human beings. Similarly,
our own country. the malignant a