The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-07-12
PEOPLE SHOULD
RID PENSACOLA
OF EVERY RAT
THE v. S. PUBLIC HEALTH
SERVICE TELLS OF THE I'M
FCRTANcE OF ExTERMINATINc
RATS.

Nnen seen yesterday by Journal
representative and asked for news re-
=;;rding the plague situation DR. Nal
.ory Kennedy OF the L. S. Public
Health Service said:
Il have nothing offIc from New
Orleans but this morning The jour
nal carried the account of the fourth
case and the third death.
These have all occurred in % days,
and as you will remember that the
first case was reported by telegraph
to Washington on June %.
New Orleans has a population Of
over 100000 ard from past experience
1t has been estimated in San Fran
!. cisco and Porto Rico that in cities the
rat population Is about equal to the
number Of human inha bitants. while
In rural districts, especially on cane
plantations and in the grain belt. the
rats will out number the inhabitants
to 1.
mo rats, no plague. il a fact.
Long before human beings ere at
fected we find. if we take the trouble
TO examine all. the rats caught. that
the disease Is prevalent among them
The plague is primarily II disease
Of rodents and there is no disputing
the fact that Il is conveyed to hui
man beings from plague infected rats
through the agency of f!eaS which live
on the sick and well rats.
"OnCe let the plague gain a foot
hold, in any community, and the cost
of stamping it out will run into the
hundred of thousands of dollars.
Then think of the injury to the
port. through Interference of shipping
facilities. and quarantine by other
countries, to say nothing of the high
death rate among our own associates
and friends. On New Orleans there
have been 4 cases and deaths). Now
this disease surrounds us everywhere.
n n
we would find ourselves practically
cut out of communication with every
country in the world.
Sooner or later Florida is going to
have to fight the plague and the cit
lzens of Florida. particularly those
living OF the ports of entry, should
look at this situation as one deserv-
III" every effort On their part to help
make Florida a rat proof state, or at
least their city Il rat proof city.
I'VE have q proposition before US
+. more important than amy we nave
! tackled for long time. Belt rail-
roads docks and commissioners re-
call dWIudlc into inSignifiCancc when
compared to- the stranger just over the
border seeking to gain admission.
II know, that if one case Of plague
was to be rel Orted in Pensacola, the
laboratory would be deluged with rats.
Will it take report like this to wake
our good people up"
NOW Is THE TINE TO RID THE
CITY OF RATS.
Make it so that if plague infected
rat or person should get to Pensacola,
there would be TO other rats here to
infect and we would stop with one
case.
with the city offering a bounty of
five GEMS L piece for rats, the small
boy of the community alone should
make 4 small fortune this summer, but
the CitiZens Of Pensacola should not
leave 1t - the small boy. Each man
should interest himself in this cam
paign and see how many Of the plague
carriers. he can Kill during the next
few weeks.
What Dr. kennedy says should be
given the most serious consideration
ny every Fensacolian. The condition
is Il serious one, bbt Pensacola can
pe rendered absolutely immune just
ny a little efforc on the part CT the
apeople whose interests are at stake.