The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-10-30
ETERNAL VIGILANCE

important events are OV0TSHduoW-
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.
And so it has come that the PirgUe
situation in New Orleans has been al
most 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 condi-
lions. This feeling of security is. justi-
fled only in part by the splendid work
that has been done and is being con-
tinued under the direction of the
Unuited States public health service.
But the disease has not been stamp
ed out and those in touch with the
situation there forsee many months
of unrelenting activity.
A recent report from the public
health service gives a compilation of
facts regarding conditions in New
Orleans, covering the situation for the
week ending October 3, as well as
the statistical totals since the dis.
covery of the disease there. This re-
port shows one suspicious case and
one new case within that week, and a
total of 20 human cases to that date,
which since has been increased to 80.
Almost two hundred-1S8 to be exact
rats had been discovered to be in
fected by archaeological examination,
from total of more than 10000 cap
tured and $4,000 examined in the
laboratories.
For the protection of the outside
world the authorities in the Louisiana
city, ~ to the close of the second
week in October, had fumigated 1863
vessels, steam and sail, and had in
spected more than 1900 loaded
freight c.rs carrying goods from New
Orleans to various sections of the
United States. During the week end
ing October 8, 3,57S cars were inspect
ed, of which 1851 were repaired to
make them rat-proof, and eighteen
were condemned. The cars inspected
and passed were sent to thirty-seven
states, and forty-nine of them were
dlstined to points in Florida.
Thus it is evident that every effort
to stamp out the disease and to pre-
vent it's 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 con-
sidered necessary by the highest au-
thorities in the country in the fifth
month Of the epidemic, is ample proof
that the fight is not finished, and that
other cities, particularly southern sea-
ports, must not let down the lines of
defense.
The Jacksonville city board of
health has examined in it's labora-
tories more than thirteen hundred
rats, and similar precautions are be-
ing followed out in Pensacola, Tampa
and other Florida seacoasts cities,
and these precautions must be con-
tinued for many months to come.
The state board of health again
urges upon the attention of municipal
authorities in all parts of Florida the
wisdom and the necessity of remodel
ing their building laws, so as to make
their wharves and docks and ware
houses rat-proof. The existence, or
the possibility of the existence of rats
in places where men transact their
daily business and in the homes
where they dwell, is disgusting, even
nauseating In the time to come,
when popular sentiment comes to a
better appreciation of the danger Of
such companionship in their homes
and surroundings, by such vermin,
its existence will be considered dis
grace, even as now bedbugs and lice
are reflection upon the neatness of
the housekeeper.
A war upon rats for their complete
determination, will be made sooner
or later, and no better beginning can
be made than in such methods of con-
struction as will leave no lodging
place for them in homes and business
places.