Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-16
DREAD DISEASE
IN CALIFORNIA
Government Tries to Find the
Source of Spotted Fever

L
/ ~ disease Of the western states, and
distinctly American, has broken out in
, California, according to report receiv.
ed at the public health and marine
hospital service here from the Califor-
! mia state board of health, says the
Washington Star.
This disease, which appears to have
originated in the Rocky mountain
! states and which has never been trac.
ed to foreign sources as have other
| scourges which have visited this coun,
try, besides its death-dealing capacity
| may have disastrous effects CONNER
| cially. The United States public
health and marine hospital service is
doing everything in it's power to tern
the causes of the, disease and how to
! prevent its spread.
| The disease has been found in it's
most violent form in Montana, where
the death rate among those afflicted
runs as high as IS per cent. In Idaho,
on the other hand, the disease has a
! far lower death rate, about or 5 per
| cent. In one year as many as 300
! cases have been recorded in Montana.
! Describes The Seouree.
Assistant Surgeon General William
Colby Rucker, of the public health and
marine hospital service, at present in
Washington, spent some time last
summer in, Montana studying this
strange disease. In an interview yes
terday he gave the following descrip-
ton of the scourge: -,
THE. other day a case of Rocky
tc the public health and marine hospi-
tai service by the state board OF
health of California. This is the sec
ond case which has been reported
from that state, and brings to mind
one of the most interesting diseases
which afflicts man, and the only one
which is distinctly American.
Rocky mountain spotted fever has
been known to exist in many of the
states from Montana to New Mexico,
and thence westward, for a great
many years. Tradition has it that the
Indians recognized it and understood
its seasonal prevalence. The disease
is found in good many fertile val
leys, which the Indians used for rails
ing their crops, and it is said that they
would go into the valley early in the
spring, plant their crops before the
appearance of the tick which carries
it, and not return for the harvest until
this dangerous insect had gone into
the resting stage.
Study Of Disease Begun.
The attention of the medical world
was first drawn to this strange malady
by the report of a. series of cases in
Idaho in, 1885, It was not until 1902,
however, that the active study Of the
disease was begun. And since that
time many of Americas foremost
scientists have endeavored to solve
the riddle of this mysterious disease
For the last two years the United
States public health and marine hospi-
tai service has had officers in the
field making an intensive study Of the
means of its prevention and control.
What is this strange disease? Why
is it that the causes have not been dis
covered? And why it is so important
to the people of the United States that
it be eradicated?
10 Acute Disease. =.
Rocky mountain spotted fever is
an acute disease in which there is a
continuous, moderately high fever,
severe pains in the muscles and joints
and a breaking out of the entire body
in little purple spots.
ut occurs during the summer
months, during the time that ticks. are
prevalent, and practically all of the
patients are bitten by ticks.
THE disease Is peculiar in that it
has the habit of iocalizing itself on
one side of a valley, and, also, in tnat
while the disease is very fatal in Mon
tana, it has low mortality in Idaho
and the rest of the western states.
ut is important that this disease be
studied and wiped out, not only he-
cause it causes human suffering and
death, but, also, for the reason that
it does a great deal of harm to the
infected sections. For example, the
Bitter Root valley of Montana, one of
the most fertile and we'll watered val
legs of the world. has this disease on
its western side. On the. eastern side
OF the valley, a section not more fer
tile nor better watered, land is worth
from $500 to $1,000 per acre, while the
disease has existed for several years.
can be purchased for fourth of those
amounts.
Description Of Tick.
"The tick, which plays the malevol-
ent role of the transmitter of the dis
ease, is much like the wook tick Of
the eastern sections of the United
States 1t is a sixlegged insect, and
is provided with an ella borate biting
and holding apparatus. Apparently it
may transmit the disease to its young,
and it may be that in this way N.s
SOURCE is perpetuated.
During its earlier cycle of develop
nent it is found on small animals such
as ground squirrels and weasels, but
in its adult stage, it is usually found
on cattle and horses.
The ticks are more or less oval in
shape. and have a notified shield or
shell extending down over their backs.
They breathe through a pair of coma
shaped openings situated just behind
the rear legs. The head supports the