The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-10-14

Discovery Of Disease In June Started
Campaign Which Was Wased Re
lsntlessiy Until All Danger Had Pass
sd-Poison and Traps Are Used, and
Docks Are Made Ratproof.
New Orleans. - The federal govern
ment is helping this city to rid itself
| OF rats, those carriers of the heas that
| carry the bubonic plague.
On June 10 a case Of bubonic plague
was discovered here. A hurry call
was sent to the public health service,
and u strenuous campaign was started
to stamp 1t out. The government was
| concerned In preventing its spread to
other sections of the country. And the
| task is costing the government $27.0 900
a month.
There are three kinds of rats. but
the worst il the Norwegian rat. He
Is the nomad of the rodent family. a
militant brute that 500 cleans out
oil others of his tribe. 1t is he who
carries the feas whose bite causes bu-
bonic plague. And he carries 1t every
where. Plague is thought to have
reached New Orleans from the orient
via Liverpool. which trades largely
with the east.
The rats are being exterminated with
poison and with traps. Several expert
psychologists were brought from San
Francisco, and they have trapped as
many as 7,724 rats In a single week.
Thousands OF rodents have been e
amined for infected feas, and In all
121 plague stricken rats have been
found. About twenty-five cases of
plague among humans have developed,
with six deaths. No new cases have
been reported among humans for some
time, but infected rats are constantly
being trapped. A few days ago a Chi
nese restaurant was condemned and
demolished, and In the process no fewer
than thirteen rats bearing plague para.
sites were found.
The fight has been going on since
early June, and the situation is now
Il WEll TIA nunus NuNNOuB DOolEb ptdtlAilA~
to hold conventions In New Orleans
have been notified that the city Is quite
safe. But the battle is by no meant
over. The Norwegian rat Is a hardy
brute. and there is always danger of q
fresh outbreak.
II is a h~ercuiean job to ratproof an
ancient rabbit warren OF a city like
New Orleans. The city has been di
vided into districts, each under the
charge Of a doctor of the public health
service, and a survey has been made
OF each district, of all rat breeding Of
rat harboring places noted, and now
they are cleaning up the place. Hole:
are being stopped up, buildings RAISED
or lowered 80 that they clear the
ground sufficiently to allow free circu
lation OF air and sunshine or else hul
IL too closely to afford shelter to th'
rodent, walls and foundations are be
ing fixed to keep the rats from gettint
through. Nuisances have been abatet
In v a thousand places, and disin
fectant and fumigation chemicals art
being used literally. Standing gar
bage, stable refuse and the like are
anathema. Permits for keeping chick
ems are being revoked, for chicken fec
is a great a~ttracter of rats.
The wharves and docks and the rail
way freight yards are being gone over
; Every ship before leaving the port 4
fumigated with sulphur or carbon mo
noxide. An attempt Is being made Il
ratproof the wharves, but 1t is onl!
, partially successful, for a really rat
proof wharf must be almost entirely o
concrete.
New Orleans being a great distribut
ing center for freight for the west an,
southwest, an enormous number o
freight cars must be inspected, rat
proofed IL necessary or fumigated. II
one week over 5000 were inspected, o
which seven were condemned.
Infant mortality, particularly from
summer bowel complaints and the like
has fallen greatly since the beginning
Of the anti-plague crusade; so has tn
general death rate.
The federal public health service ha
more than 200 men engaged In tn
work here under the leadership OF Dr
william G. Rncker. Surgeon Genera
Blue visited the city at the beginning
to look the situation over, bringing
with him DIR. Creel, who stamped GU
the plague Mt Porto Rico.