Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-06
MENACE OF THE
BubONIC PLAGUE
TO UNITED STATES

Fort Worth, Texas, May 4.-Dr. W.
c. Rucker, assistant surgeon general
Of the Public Health Service, before
the State Medical Association here to-
day told of the worldwide ramifica-
tons of bubonic plague and its men
ace to the United States. The plague,
he said, follows main travelled roads,
spreads along less beaten paths to the
remote ends of the earth and goes from
one country to another more frequent
ly by water than by land.
Taking the Hawaiian Islands, where
plague was found last August, as a
central point" DR.. Rucker continued,
plague exists in Seattle, 2.4o9 miles
away; in California. 2.091 miles dis
tant; in Iokoho,na, s,445 miles away;
in Hungkong, ASST miles away, and IN
Shanghai, q little over 5000 miles dis
tant. Thus our entire Pacific Coast
is threatened by plague from the ORR
emit The Pacific Coast is also men
aced by the disease in Ecuador and
Peru. a little over 1000 miles away
from San Francisco.
tine entire Gnf Coast is nenaced
by plague In Havana, 1862 miles from
Galveston, 60l miles from New Or
leans, S24 miles from Tampa, and 20
miles from Key West. The disease
was found among rats in New Orleans
no longer ago than March 8, 1915. On
account Of the chaos in Mexico. it is
impossible to state whether plague
exists in her Gulf ports.
THE Atlantic Coast is not only
threatened with importation Of plague
from the eastern coast of South Am
erica, but from European, African and
Asiatic ports Less than 5000 miles
from New York, plague is found in
Brazil. al Pernambuco. Pahia and Rio
de Janeiro. In the Mediterranean lit
toral, plague is found in Tripoli,
Greece, Egypt, and at Port Said, one
Of the worlds gateways. Practically
all Of the great ports OF British India,
except Calcutta, are infected. Ran
COON, Madras, Colombo. Bombay and
Karachi report its presence and from
Karachi it has extended up into the
Persian Gulf. Singapore, Surabaya.
Mauritius, Zanzibar, Queenstown in
South Africa and Dakar in Sonogals all
have plague Directly or indirectly our
country is in commercial communica-
ton with all OF the infected places
mentioned. It must be admitted that
as plague is a disease Of rodents which
travel around the world in ships, the
United States must consider herself
as seriously menaced by bubonic
plague"
DR.. Fucker commended that there was
no reason to believe the disease does
not exist in other ports and that the
search for it had been either neglected
or half-heartedly conducted. That, he
said, applies to the United States as
well as to other countries.
AS to prevention, he said, the first
line of defense was maritime quaran-
tine, which might prove a disastrous
interference with commerce and at
best makeshift": second, rat guards,
and other measures at the wharves to
prevent ernparkation or disembarka-
ton of rats; third, immunization of
human beings, "a weak reed to lean
upon; and fourth, the only reliable
defense. rat-proofing mans working
and living environment. He said no
modern city could regard rat-pr6ofing
as a luxury. Rat-proof cities and &C.
cupants Of ratproof premises need
have no fear Of the plague. he said.