The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-15
FLORIDA AND THE PLAGUE

changed the maps OF EUROPE anu A5ih
and on this hemisphere.
Under the names of the scourge,
the black plague, and other more or
less descriptive titles, this disease,
varying but little in type, has brought
devastation and panic and death
$4,000 victims in Naples within six
months in the seventeenth century;
$4,000 in Constantinople in 1872; TO-
900 In London in the great plague;
13,0OO,000 in China in few short
years in the fourteenth century, and
$4,000, 900 in the epidemic that swept
over Europe between 1347 and 1850.
There was no staying or stopping its
ravages until, like a great confiagra-
ton. it had run its course, because
men, horror stricken in the presence
of tn; awful visitation, knew not its
cause or its cure.
Such epidemics are just as possible
in these modern times, even more
in international intercourse, but for
the one fact that medical science has
discovered the method of transmits
sion, if not an infallible cure. 1t is
prevention more than cure that has
given the world of today f.n advan-
tage over the centuries of the past.
It is known that the fea-the insect
that attaches itself to tbs hair of the
rat and in this hiding place traverses
the globe in the ships of commerce,
carries the germ of infection. To
avoid the germ, the rat and flea must
be banished, or rather must be deni-
ed entrance at the seaports of this
country, if the United States is to be
kept free in the years to come. This
deadly and inseparable trio must be
fought as one, for they can not be
parted.
In the history Of warfare against
disease, especially in epidemic form,
that is the inefficient excepting under
government control. The individual,
or any association of individuals, can
nope to combat disease only by
arousing public sentiment. Such
sentiment usually is not stirred until
the actual presence of danger makes
fighting next to useless, excepting to
limit the progress of disease. An in
stance is the warfare against tuber-
Culosis to illustrate. the fact. So far
as is now recalled, no states have en-
acted strenuous laws to control this
disease. The fight against it in this
country is being carried on by private
organizations, individuals and boards
of health which are not backed by
proper legal measures, and the dis
ease, 1t is said, is making more rapid
strides than ever before.
A recent warning of the plague has
come to this country from the pres
ence of one or two cases in Havana.
They were controlled by the prompt
action of the Cuban health autlori-
ties. but this insidious disease usu-
ally makes no announcement of its
approach--its actual appearance of
ten is the first warning. 1t may be
reported in a Florida port next time.
Florida is one of the important gate
ways to the United States from the
tropics, the fayorite resort of the
plague. Once entered here, it would
probably be stopped here, but at
what cost to Florida. Quarantine,
stoppage of traffic, immense CONNER
cial loss and infinite delay to the
splendid development of the State
these are some of the possibilities.
Such confidence have the people of !
Florida in their Board of Health that
1t will protect them from all forms of i
pestilence, that all sense of individu-
al responsibility has been lost. Not
many years ago well defined appre-
hension of the visitation of yellow fe-
yer was general in Florida until the
summer was gone. Thanks to it's
Board of Health. such fear no longer
exists and Florida is as safe as New
York or Michigan.
This lack of sense of individual re-
sponsibility and this confidence in it's
health authorities appear to have ex-
tended to Florida's law-making bodies
to its legislature and to the councils
of its cities. In matters of such high
importance, which touch directly the
interests of every citizen, no organi-
cation like the State Board OF Health,
can have more than an advisory pow
er. Not until the disease has actual
ly made it's appearance can this body
assume dictatorial authority and en-
force its orders with the dignity of en-
acted law. In time OF peace, prepare