Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-19
Not a Single Human Being Is
Victim of Disease at the
Present Time.
NO REASON FOR ALARM,
SAYS DR.. RUPERT BLUE
Last Of Patients Leaves Hospital
Cured, Declares Communication
to The Star.

There is not at this time in the city of
New Orleans a single case of buoonic
plague Of which a human being IL the
victim. Out Of twenty-five human cases
lonly six have died. No one need avoid
4 New Orleans for fear Of contracting
bubonic plague.
So declares the public health service,
which Is preparing to advise NUMBER
of organizations which have postponed
conventions to have been held in NeW
Orleans that plague conditions are not
such as to justify such postponement
"It is due to the city to express our
opinion regarding its present sanitary
condition" said DR.. Rupert Blue. sur
geon general. There is no reason Tor
alarm by any visitor of infection from
bubonic plague. With the cooperation
with the public health service Of state
and municipal health authorities and
the business interests of the city-an
working together-all danger has been
removed.
"It is difficult to eradicate plague IN
lection There are no human cases now.
/ and rat population has been SO gfeat!y
reduced that the chance Of infection Is
proportionately reduced. This declmatlon
OF rats, however. in reducing the Danger
of infection, has also extended tne
period of danger Of infection. It Is 700
premature to assert that bubonic plague
has been entirely exterminated.
May Appear Any Time.
| In the history Of visitations of bubonic
plague, it is explained by the public
health service, it is recorded that cases
Of bubonic plague will occur from time
to time after a campaign has appeared
| to dominate the situation. This is due TO
the fact that rats, not killed of in the
crusade Of determination. are shinned
out in any given area and carry their IN
lection more slowly because FEWER IN
number.
| While every human victim of bubonic
:, plague has been discovered since the
public health service instituted the
method of inspecting the dead ana de-
lterminfnE the cause of death. such pro-
cedure is not possible among the rats
in which cases mortality records are
difficult There is no doubt that many
rats are still infected with the plague.
possibility Of feas from these rats
spreading infection to humans remains.
| But the public health service thor.
loughly indorses the claim OF the CITY OF OF
Visitors. It believes. however, tnat
faithful representation Of the situation
lis best for all concerned.
There have been four big conventions
dates, which called for assembly in
New orleans in September and October.
One Of these conventions, 1t Is DEN
initely learned, was postponed Tor other
reasons than fear of bubonic plague.
Another convention, closely allied in
purpose to the other, was moved by the
Ic6nsideration Of the postponement OF
the general convention. Other conven-
ltions will be communicated with by the
public health service to carry the as
surances that are regarded as fair to
1.-The city of New Orleans.
J. F. Carter, jr. manager OF the pup
ilicity bureau Of the New Orleans AS
sociation Of Commerce, has sent the
following communication to The Star
Not a Single Case Remains.
1--WE are sure that you will be glad
Ito know there is not a single case
Of bubonic plague in the city of New
iOrleans-'
New Orleans has been hurt a great
deal by the bubonic plague publicity
which it has received. Several large
conventions have been Cancelled. and
1 the city has suffered more than II
should have suffered in view Of the
heroic health ordinances that have
been drafted and enforced at the eA-
Ipense Of the people.
"Of course, New Orleans does NOT
blame the newspapers for this unde-
sirable publicity. 1t is their busin ess
to print the news, and as long as their
reports are accurate and dependable
they have right to whatever news
value there may have been In the bu-
bonic plague.
.However, now that the last case
has disappeared from New Orleans. we
trust that you will be kind enough to
exploit this fact. as matter Of jus
tice to this city. We have good cause
to be convinced Of the fairness of the
newspapers of this country, because
SO many of them have published edi-
torials based on the request that we
made several weeks ago. Now that
there is not a trace of the plague in
this city, definite statement to this
effect by your paper and other leading
} newspapers throughout the country
would be very thankfully read by us.
| Last of Patients Cured.
Saturday morning. September II. the
4 three patients remaining at the Isola-
ton Hospital left that institution cured
and each in excellent health. Free
quently, since the outbreak. the plague
has been virtually eliminated through
the clinical recovery of the patients,
| but the patients have been held pend
! ing their thorough recuperation, and
before that time a new case would be
added to the list. SO that it was not
until Saturday that the hospital con-
| tanned only empty beds.
4 ''Out of the twenty-five human cases
Of plague at New Orleans only six
died. OF the six. three were very old
4 and feeble. and the others died before
| the serum treatment was administered.
From this you will readily understand
that the plague is pretty much of a
bugaboo. and that New Orleans has
been advertised In a way that the stu
/ alton did not warrant. Surgeon Cen
eral Rupert Blue has declared that
there is absolutely no danger to any
one who may care to visit New Orleans.
and we hope that We are not asking
too much of you in donating bit of
your space to the dissemination of this
news