Evening journal., 1915-06-23
GUARDING AGAINST
BUBON|C PLAGUE
Assistant SurgeOn-General
US. Warns About Disease
Carrying Rats
PACIFIC COAST
SEEMS MENACED
BY E. F. DORSEY
United Press staff Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, June 2S.-W. c.
Rucker. assistant surgeon general
II s public health service, sees need
for greater precautions in this coun-
trv against bubonic plague. Since the
plague follows the path of steamship
lines. he says, this country is threat
ened from every quarter of the world
in which disease now exists. The
ships carry rats and the rats carry
the disease.
Rodent and human plague, he says,
were found in the Hawaiian Islands
no longer ago than last August. the
whole Pacific coast is menaced by the
existence of the disease in Ecuador
and Peru, on the western coast OF
South America, a little over 1000
miles from San Francisco. The en-
tire gulf coast of Our country is men
aced by plague in Havana, 769 miles
from Galveston. 601 miles from New
Orleans. 324 miles from Tampa and
92miles from Key West. He says the
disease was found among rats in New
Orleans no longer ago than March 3.
1915. on account of the unsettled
conditions now existing in Mexico, II
is impossible to know whether or not
plague exists in her gulf ports.
THAT the Atlantic coast OF the
United States is threatened with the
importation of plague not only from
the. eastern coast of South America,
but from European, African and
Asiatic ports as we'll, is plain" said
DR.. Rucker. LESS than 5000 miles
from New York. the plague is found in
Brazil, at Pernambuco. Bahia and
Rio de Janerio. In the Mediterranean
litoral plague is found in Tripolt,
Greece Egypt and at Port Said, one
Of the greatest gateways of the world.
Practically all of the ports of
British India, with the exception OF
Calcutta. are infected with plague.
Ragoon. Madras, Colombo. Bombay
and Karachi report the presence Of
the disease. and from the latter point
il has extended up into the Persian
Gulf. Singapore. Surabaya. Mauritlus,
Zanzibar. Queenstown in South Africa
and Dakar in Sengal, all have plague.
Directly or indirectly our country Is
in commercial communication with
all of the infected places which have
been mentioned, and it must be admit
ted that in view of the fact that
plague is a disease of rodents which
travel around the world in ships. the
United States must consider itself as
seriously menaced by bubonic plague
"Under normal conditions plague is
an epizootic disease of rodents. Occa-
sionally. as favorable conditions arise
Il becomes epidemic. When in the
latter condition it is perpetuated To-
cally and is distributed to distant
ports Since the disease is capable o
perpetuation and since il is found in
almost all of the great ports of tht
world. there is no reason to believe
that il does not exist in the remaining
ports, and that our lack of knowledge
as to its existence in these ports from
which il has not been reported means
that the search for the disease has
either been neglected or has beer
made half-heartedly. Careful rodent
surveys have been conducted in only
three ports of this country and IN al
three of these the disease has beer
found to exist. It is not at all un'
likely that a thorough search woulf
demonstrate the presence OF the dis
ease in the other American ports hav
ing a large foreign commerce.
"Our experience at New Orleans il
an ample OGuOucli dAlOh Va iiiAe 90
sertion. Several thousand rats were
examined before a single one wal
found which was plague infected. an'
this one would. in all probabilities
have been overlooked had it not beel
for the large experience of the ex
aminers."
Having outlined the condition
which exists. DR.. Rucker gives tn
% k1 lob fr, from
plague He says there must first b
q maritime quarantine. This if ap
piled effectively interferes seriOusl
with commerce. The routine disin
fection of ships, if done thorough.
will prevent the introduction cs rats
and therefore the introduction {
bubonic plague, but such a measure
Of temporary value only, he says, an
il omitted a single time may he fol
lowed by the introduction of plagu
rats.
THE second line of defense" h
Gays, "is preventing the embarkatio
or Decentralization of rodents
vharves This is accomplished b
thorough inspection and mechanics
guards.
But the chief defense agains
plague is rat proofing the environ
ment in which man lives and work
No modern city can afford to segar
this precaution as a luxury. II is m
duty of every municipality to incol
porate IN its public health and builC
ing codes ordinances requiring III
rat-proofing of all structures with
It's jurisdiction. The only kind ,
rat proofing which is really wort
while. is permanent imperious ms
terial, such as brick. concrete {
stone. This will fortify the groun
areas against rats To wait for a
epidemic before taking this precal
tion is both dangerous and UNUSUAL
expensive"
In conclusion. DR.. Rucker SAYS tn;
through the efforts of Surgeon Gel
sral Rupert Blue and his co-workel
we know that plague may be Grad
cated or prevented The remedy
simple, and he states that il Ii,
within our power TO decide whcth,
we will make use of the well-prove
measures of prevention and relief.
AVN rsrsur.,