Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-10-14
|bouic Plague There Stir
 Tn Both the Munici- pality ana ollcle ""''i'
HERCULEAN TASK
proo6pr Ancient Warren of q .,, rx Costing Government $27, 900 TcutI,-NcrWegian Rodent
 Especial Offender.

Kew Orleans, ocl' io'-i iie ieoei al
 comment is helping this city to rid
 ,,f of rats. those carriers of the
 os that carry the bubonic plague.
 nn 1une 19 a case of bubonic plague
 discovered here. A hurry call
 conf to the public health service
 d q strenuous campaign was start
 to stamp it out. The government
 bs concerned in preventing it's
 road to other sections of the coun-
 And the task is costing the gov
 nment was concerned in preventing
 spread to other sections of the
 untry. And the task is costing the
 bvernment s27,00O a month.
 There arc three kinds of rats, but
 e worst is the Norwegian rat. He
 the no,1ad of the rodent family, a
 ilitant brute that soon cleans out
 others of his tribe. It is he who
 rries the flea whose bite causes |,bonic plague. And he carries it Eerywhere. Plague is thought to bye reached New Orleans from the Srient via Liverpool, which trades Argely WlIn tHe EdSl.
 Poisoned and Trapped.
 l The rats are being eXterminated
 ith poison and with traps. Several kpert rodentologists were brought rom San Francisco and they have Trapped as many as LIZA rats in a ingle week.
 Thousands of rodents have been eX- mined for infected fleas, and in all R1 plague-stricken rats have been |ound. About twenty-five cases of Hague among humans have develop Id with six deaths. No new cases lave been reported among humans |or some time, but infected rats are (onstantly being trapped. A few days lgo a Chinese restaurant was con- lemned and demolished, and in the process no less than thirteen rats |earing plague parasites were found. The fight has been going on since sarly June, and the situation is now we'll in hand. Various bodies plan lipg to hold conventions in New Or eans have been notified that the city s-quitc safe. But the battle is by 10 means over. The Norwegian rat s a hardy brute and there is always langer of a fresh outbreak.
 It is herCulean job to ratprOOf an lncient rabbit-warren of city like tew Orleans. The city has been di 'ided into districts, each under the 'harge of a doctor of the public lealth service, and a survey has been made of each district, of all rat breeding or rat-harboring places not 'd; and now they are cleaning up he place. Holes are being stopped ID; buildings raised or lowered so hat they clear the ground sufficient to allow free circulation of air and unshine or else hug it too closely o afford shelter to the rodent wallis md foundations are being fixed to eep the rats from getting through. 'ulsances have been abated in over ,OOO places and disinfectant and mitigation chemicals are being used berally. Standing garbage, stable efuse and the like arc anathcma. 'ermits for keeping chickens are be- lg revoked, for chicken feed is a reat attracter of rats.
 Wharves and Freight Yards.
 The wharves and docks and the ailway freight yards are being gone yer. very ship before leaving the ort is fumieated with sulphur or arbon monoXlde. An attempt is be- lg made to ratproof the wharves, but is only partially successful, for a eally ratproof wharf must be almost ntirel yof concrete.
 Ne wOrleans being a great distriD- tlng center for freight for the west nd southwest, an enormous number freight cars must be inspected, rat roofed if necessary, or fumigated. In ne week over 5000 were inspected, which seven were condemned.
 Infant mortality, particularly from lmmer bowe, complaints and the Ike, has fallen greatly since the be- inning of the anti-plaguc crusade, has the general death rate.
 The federal public health service as over 200 men engaged in the ork here under the leadership of IT, William c. Fucker. Surgeon eneral Blue visited the city at the eglnning to look the situation over, ringing with him Dr. Greet. who :amped out the plague at Porto Rico.