The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-10-28
ETERNAL VIGILANCE

Important events are overshadow-
ed by the European War Reports
in the news columns are cut to a few
lines under small heads, (which three
or -four months ago would have been
carried in big type
An1 so it has come that the plague.
situation in New Orleans has been
almost forgotten, and the lack of de-
tails in the daily press has possibly
lulled those who are not informed by
official reports to sense of security
out of proportion to the actual con-
ditions. This feeling of security is
justified only in part by the spIend-
i'd work that has been done and is
being done under the direction of the
United States Public Health Service
But the disease has not been stamp
ed out and those in touch with the
situation there tforsee many months
OF unrelenting activity
"a recent report from the Public
Health Service gives a compilation of
facts regarding conditions DIN New Or
leans, covering the situation for the
week ending October 3, ais we'll as
the statistical totals since the dis
covery of the disease there. This re-
port shows one suspicious case and
one new case with Uhait week, and a
total of 29 human cases TO that
date, (which since has been increased
TO 80. Almost two humid red-188 to
he exact rats had been discovered to
he infected by archaeological exami-
119, 900 captured and SO. 900 exaimin-
ed i'm THE laboratories.
For the protection of the outside
world the authorities in 1.-THE Louis
lama city, up ito the chose of the sec
omd week in October, had fumigated
'363 vessels, steam and sai1, and had
inspected more than IT 1000 loaded
freight cars carrying goods from New
Orleans ito various sections of the
United States. During the week end
Ding October 3,3 ,578 cars were inspect
ed, of (which l ,951 were repaired 60
make them rat-proof, and eighteen
were condemned. The cars inspect
ed and passed were sent ito thirty
sewen states, and for1ty-nine of them
were destined Ito points in FlIorTda.
Thus 1T is evident THAT every effort
to stamp out the disease and to pre-
vent its spread is being made and
with as much vigor as In the earlier
stages of the epidemic. The fact that
such strenuous exertions are still
considered necessary by the highest
authorities in the country I'M the fifth
month of the epidemic, is ample proof
that the fight dis not yet finished, and
that other cities, particularly south
ern seaports. must not let down the
lines of defense.
The Jacksonville City Board of
Health has examined in its 1abora-
tories more than thirteen hundred
rats, and similar precautions are be-
Ding followed out in Pensacola, Tampa
and other FLORIDA seacoast cities,
and these precautions must be CON
tinusd for many months to come.
The State Board OF Health aksain
urges upon the attention of tmunici-
pal authorities in allI parts of Flori la
THE wisdom and the necessity OF re-
modelling their laws, so as to make
tHheir wiharves and docks and ware
houses rat-proof. The existence, or
the possibility of the existence, OF
rats lin places where men TRANSACT
their daily business and in the
homes where they dwell, is disgust
ing, even nlauseatilg. I'm the time
to come, when popular sentiment
comes ito better appreciation of the
danger of such companionship in tthe
home and surroundings, to say moth
ng of the filth and annoyance and fl
nancial losses caused by such verm1n
its existence will he considered a dis
grace, even as now bedbWgs and 9ict
are a reflection uTon the neatnes:
of the 1lousekeeper.
"A war upon rats for their corn
plete determination will be male
sooner or later, and no better be
ginning can be made than in sucf
methods of construction as will leave
no 1odgfng place for them in homes
and business places.