Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-05
STATE HEALTH BOARD URGES
DETERMINATION OF RATS AND
SQUIRRELS.
SPREAD BU6oNiC PLAGUE
AND CHOLERA GERMS
Iowa Board Takes Precautionary
Measure Upon Receipt Of Appeal
From california-Ground Squirrels
and Rats Should Be Slain and
Burned, Not Poisoned, As is Custom.
snec,ai to Times Republican

Special TO mes Reru pIlCdN.
Des Moines. Dec. Sin q bulletin IS
sued late yesterday by the state BOARD
of health Of Iowa were advised 70 Kill
every rat. mouse and squirrel they
could in order to prevent leprosT ana
bubonic plague from gaining foot
hold in the state.
The bulletin is based on resolutions
passed by the California state board OF
health, a copy Of which was received at
the local Offices.
The health officials IN western states
fearf an epidemic Of these diseases IN
the United States and are urging the
residents of all states 10 aid in the sN-
termination Of animals that are known
to be carriers OF the diseases
Text Of the Bulletin.
>The secretary Of the Iowa state
board Of health has received an official
notice from the secretary OF the Cali
fornia state board of health stating
that the plague situation has not
changed materially since the confer
ence Of the state and territorial boards
of health in California last June.
TT may not be generally known that
this oriental disease has been brought
to the United States thru the infection
Of rn.s. coming over in ships and es-
Gaping to the land al the ports IN Cali
foruia. These plague rats have trans
mitted the disease 20 squirrels and
others Of the rodent family, and fees
escaping from plague rat or plague
squirrel gain enTacne 10 homes and
thereby transmit the disease to human
beings Another important element n
the transmission Of this dread disease
IS the hy, which may feed upon q
dead plague rat or squirrel. then enter
the home and :ofec, some food product
thereby conveying the disease 70 the
inhabitants Of the home.
aa tLeprosy Apparent.
Il, Is worthy OF note % state that
the disease known as rat leprosy exists.
and IL capable of being transmitted 20
human beings thru parasitic insects.
This Idea that parasitic insects might
play some role in the transmission OF
Ieprosy seems TO have existed for some
time. Considerable evidence in the case
has accumulated, from time 70 time in
the past, and this has been well re-
viewed by Nu,rau, who says II ap-
pears that LinnaeUs and Rolander con-
sidered chlorops (musca( leprae vas
able to cause leprosy by its bite
Blanchard and CORRIDOR tell Of tlies in
connection with leprosy. citing the case
of an Indian who had lived some time
with lepers and acquired leprosy. as he
himself claimed, thru the agency Of
flies. The insects gathered frequently
in great numbers On the ulcers Of his
leprous comrades and some Of these
insects bit him. The first ieproUs ul-
GERS apperaed on thu places where ten
insects had inflicted wounds. Jolly says
his teacher, SaDrazes, has long held the
view that leprosy might De produced
by large number OF small innocula-
tions. such as insects, especially para
sites may inftcc.'
How Disease Is Transmitted.
The careful observer in preventive
medicine Will quickly understand that
insects, especially parasites. when
feeding upon diseased rats, may trans
nit disease 10 human beings. Acting
Assistant Surgeon William 3. WheTry.
Oakland, Cal, while detailed TO plague
work in that city, made a careful
search for leprosy in rats. In order 10
gain some idea as TO its prevalence, Dr..
Wherry, during the four months De
tween April Is and July Is, 1905, dis
sected 1851 rats. Of these. 20 we're
infected with leprosy OF this number
were females and males, and in .
the sex was not recorded. DR. WherrE'
states: The experience gained in rec
ognizing the anatomical features OF
the disease resulted in the recognition
OF some cases Of very recent infection.
1t seems probable, therefore, that few,
-zr11 r.lyf "A iy
this series. Most Of these rats, how
ever. were very large. old rats, which
showed such marked alopecia and sup
CRITICAL liberation. with occasional at
rophy Of the tail or toes Of the feet,
as at once to excite suspicion. To IL
lustrate the sickly and defenseless con-
dition Of rats IL an advanced stage Of
this disease, I might relate that one
leper rat was found staggering about
in an apparently half blind and de-
fenseless condition on one Of the public
streets Of Berkeley In broad daylight
1T Is not Intended 70 extend this
warning to such a degree that it will
not be read, but the science Of bacteri-
ology has made clear many facts with
respect to the causation Of disea So,
and with this advance in knowledge
we must disregard the old theories
which related to the naiasmatic and
Immoral origin of human Ills. Studies
of epidemics Of diseases have likewise
determined the methods Of trans mis-
sion Of many of the infectious and con-
tagious diseases. thus eliminating err
roneous conceptions that they are at
tributable to some mysterious condi-
ton o. the atmosphere or soil, or to a
visitation of the wrath OF the AL
mighty.
Warning Sounded to Iowa.
"a. this junctuTc NC are confronted
with q condition that bids us to take