East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-06-23
NEEDS MORE
PROTECTION AGAINST
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE
ASSISTANT SURGEON GENERAL
OF UNITED STATES GIVES
WARNING.
Disease Follows Path of Steamship
Lines, Declares DIR. w. c. RuclkeF
and This Nation Is Threatened
from Every Quarter Of the world
Where Plague Now Exists.
BY E. f DORSEY

HEfFAAAHA RAbkllAA tAAN W. A1liAN' N'AN
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 Ecua-
dor 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, col miles from New
Orleans 324 miles from Tampa and
92 miles from Key West, He says
the disease was found among rats in
New Orleans no longer ago than
March 19, 1915 on account Of the
unsettled conditions now existing in
Mexico, IL 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 Asia
tic ports as well, is plain said Dr.
Rucker. LESS than 5000 miles from
New York. the plague is found in
Brazil, at Pernambuco, Bahia, and
Rio de Janeiro. In the Mediterran-
can literal, plague is found in Tripoli,
Greece, Egypt and at Port Said, one
of the greatest gateways of the
world.
practically ell 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
fact that plague is a disease Of ro-
Gulf Singapore. Surabaya, Mauri-
thus. Zanzibar. Queenstown in South
Africa, and Dakar in Sengal, all have
plague. Directly or indirectly our
country IS In commercial communica-
tion with all of the infected places
which have been mentioned, and it
must be admitted that in view Of tho
il has extended up into the Persian
dents which travel around the world
In ships, the United States must con-
slider itself as seriously menaced by
bubonic plague.
Under normal conditions plague is
an epizootic disease OF rodents. Oc-
caslonally, as favorable conditions
arise. 1t becomes epidemic. When in
the latter condition 1t is perpetual
ed locally and is distributed to dist
ant ports Since he disease is capa-
BILE Of. such perpetuation and since it
is fond in almost all parts of the
world, there is no reason to believe
that it does not exist in the remaining
ports, and that our lack of knowledge
as to its existence in these ports
from which it has not been reported
means that the search for the dis
ease has either been neglected or has
been made half-heartedly Careful
rodent surveys have been conducted
In only three ports of this country
and in all three of these the disease
has been found to exist. It is not at
an unlikely. that a thorough search
would demonstrate the presence Of.
the disease in the other American
ports having a large foreign COM
merce.
"Our experience at New Orleans isl
ample demonstration Of this assertion.
Several thousand rats were examined
before a single one was found which
was plague infected, and this one
would in all probabilities have been
overlooked had it not been for the
arge experience of the examiners
Having outlined the condition
which exists, DR.. Rucker gives the
steps to be taken for protection from
plague. He says there must first be
4 maritime quarantine. This If ap-
Piled effectively interferes seriously
With commerce. The routine disln-
lection of ships, If done thoroughly
will prevent the introduction of rats,
md therefore the introduction of bu-
oonic plague. but such a measure Is
,f temporary value only, he says, and
+ omitted a single time may be fol-
owed by the introduction of plague
'ats.
"The second line of Defense" he
,ays, sis preventing the embarkation
,r Decentralization of rodents at
vharfs. This is accomplished by
thorough inspection and mechanical
guards.
But the chief defense against
plague is rat proofing the environ
ment In which man lives and works.
No modern city can afford to regard
this precaution as a luxury. It is the
duty of every municipality to inoor-
porate in its public health and build
ing codes ordinances requiring the
rat t-prooflng which is really worth
while, is permanent imperious mate
rial such as brick, concrete, or stone.
This will fortify the ground areas
against rats To wait for an epidem-
ic before taking this preeaution is
both dangerous and usually expen-
slve."
In conclusion. DR. Rucker says that
through the efforts OF Surgeon-Gener-
al Rupert Blue and his eo-workers
we know that plague may be eradi-
Gated or prevented. The remedy Is
simple. and he states that 1t lies with
in our power to decide whether we
will mako use of the well-proven
measures Of prevention and relief