The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-08-27
Exclude the Rodents.

IT is remarkable fact confirmed by many observations
that many physicians who have devoted considerable labor to the
study of particular disease have themselves died of that disease
One of the most interesting examples is that of John Daniel
Major born August Is 1884 in Bresau, physician and nar
alist of ability Bitten early by the WanderuSt he
studied at WttenbWg took at many of the schools
Germany and finally went to Italy where he received the degree
of doctor of medicine at Padua 1860 Returning to his
country, he resided for short time in Slesa and in 1861 he
married at Wtenburg Margaret Dorothy, daughter of the
celebrated Sennert The following year. his young wife
stricken with plague and died after illness of eight days Dis
acted by his loss Major wandered and down Europe study
ing plague wherever he found in the hope that might dis
for the disease which had bereayed him. Spain
Germany France and Russia visited by him. He settled
1866 in Me where he made professor of botany and the
director of the botanical gardens lie made frequent voyages
however, always in quest of the remedy plague Finally in
$685. he called Stockholm treat the queen of Charles
the Eleventh. then i'll with plague but before he could render her
August
The bbOnc plague Of today identical with the black death
Of the middle ages Primarily disease rodents caused by
short dumbbe shaped microscopic vegetable the pest bacillus
in in three FORMS the pneumonia which has
death rate of almost 100 per cent the eptcaem which is
nearly fatal and the bubonc in which with the most
modern methods of treatment the mortality is about fifty per
cent 1t disease of commerce. spreading around the globe
the body of the shpborne rat estimated that every
of human plague costs the municipality in which occurs
at least $500 This does not take into account the enormous
loss due disastrous guarantees and the commercial paralysis
which the fear of the disease frequently produces
The disease is now treated by discovered through
the genius of Yersin This is used in much the way is
diphtheria antitoXin.
Plague transferred from the sick rodent to the well man
by feas The sick rat has enormous numbers of plague bacE
III us DIoou Inc poa is taken ny Ine le WhlcL leaving the
sick rat seeks refuge and susnance on the body Of human
being to whom it transfers the Infection,
Since plague is disease Of rodents and since is carried
from sick rodents to we'll by rodent eas, safety from the
disease lies in the exclusion of rodents only exclusion from
the habtaon Of but also from the ports and cities Of the
world Those who dwell in t0Eproof surroundings take
plague Not only should man dwell in raproof Surroundings
but he should also live IN rae surroundings The day past
when the rodent served useful purpose the unpaid city 8cav-
enger Rats viii not come where there is no food for them ,
ncpa cleanliness may ho regarded as partial insurance against
plague The prayer that no plague nigh dwellings, is
n
Modern sanitary science has evolved simple and efficient weap7
against the peslenee which wakeh In darkness and trike
this knowledge into practical operation and thus speedily erad-
Gated plague wherever il has appeared In the United States