The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-28
|BUbON|C PLAGUE
| bAC|L[| FOUND IN
NEW ORLEANS RAT
Federal Health Official Says
Discovery Need Cause
No Alarm
EVERY PRECAUTI0sS'ss<> :
IS BEINGS, EN-
So
Fight to Rid CO sss RATS Will Be
Carried For i Vigorously.
Health Officials to Hold
Contests Tomorrow

New Orleans, July 2a-Discovery OF the
bubonic bacilli was made in New Orleans
this afternon by federal and city health
authorities. The bacteria of the dreaded
plague was found in a rat caught on the
water front. The discovery was made
after the examination of several hundred
rats during the past two weeks had failed
to reveal any trace of the disease.
DR.. ]. II. White of the United States
marine hospital service, who recently re-
turned from an inspection of the, plague
in the district of Havana, stated that the
discovery of the plague here need not
cause the slightest alarm.
Doctors Issue Statements
After meeting of health officials to-
| night, called for the purpose of consid-
| ering this and other phases of the rat-sx-
| termination campaign, DR.. White and Dr..
William 7. O'Reilly, city health officer,
issued statements in which il was de-
clared that there was no cause for APP
prehension and that the fight against the
rats would be continued until they were
wiped out.
A conference of health officials of Geor-
gia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
lana and Texas will be held in New Or
leans Monday to discusss sfnetaods for pre-
venting the introduction of the plague in
to this country and to consider the ques-
tion of quarantine regulations in the
event the disease should gain foothold
in any southern ports.
DR.. Whites statement follows:
"One rat infected with plague has been
found ON one of the wharves of the city
of New Orleans.
so far none have been found else-
Where
EVERY possible precaution is being ta-
ken and there is no cause for any appre-
hension.
Rat plague has been in England for
more than two years but because it has
been vigorously fought no human cases
have occurred and the city health officers
of New Orleans have already taken meas
ures to combat this small beginning so
vigorously that there can be no possible
doubt but that 1t will be wiped out
Il am in position to know the truth OF
this statement and / youch for the abb
solutciy honest and vigorous action of DR..
o'Reiliy in this emergency"
Is Authority on Subject
Doctor White, who has been connected
with the marine hospital service for a
number of years, will cooperate with the
city authorities in the work OF exterini-
mating the rats. DIR. Whites knowledge
of the bubonic plague its cause and pre-
vention is such that he Is a recognized
authority on the subject.
When the plague appeared in 1901 in
San Francisco, DR.. White was Immediate
ly sent there by the government to take
charge. He found that in Chinatown the
plague had taken such hold@that humans
had been infected. This Indicated that
there had been rat infection there for a
period of at least three years Notwith-
standing this advanced and serious situa-
ton he succeeded in cleaning Chinatown
in three months. The authorities were
slow in giving the marine hospital service
| authority In ether parts of the city. but
finally did and the plague was soon Grad
icated.
A total of 333 rats, caught on the water
front. have been examined tn determine
whether they are infected with the baci-
lus pestis. or bubonic plague bacillus.
Some of these are still in culture. The
one rat which showed the bubonic bac-
terra. was taken from wharf number five
of the Stuyvesant docks.
The city authorities have provided am
pie funds for carrying on the fight to rid
the city OF rats.
Havana. July 27.--No additional sus-
pected cases of bubonic plague have
been reported and the sanitary author
tiles are now assured they have the
situation well in hand.