The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-14
Major Greene Withholds Final
Confirmation Until Arrival
of Chief BacterioIogist.
WILL NOT QUARANTINE
Health Officials Announce No
Restrictions On Travel Will
Be Required Here.

There were no new developments in
the bubonic plague situation yesterday.
, State and Public Health Service Off
cials are stiT WITHHOLDING f,na, con-
firmation of the original diagnosis Of
DIR. Herbert Bryan and DIR. +. a.
Brink. pending the arrival from WASH
ington of DIR. williams. chief bacterlo
ologist of the Public Health Service.
Major Greene. state health officer. IS
in charge of the situation. having been
notified by DIR. Brink. DR. S. n. NJ.
Kennedy. local representative OF The
=. H. ;. has forwarded full fnforma-
ton of the situation TO Washington.
DIR. Herbert Bryan was the family
! physician in the case OF Peter Gar
dina. who died Saturday night. He
found a condition Friday which he be-
iieyed to be plague and called in Dr.
r. A. Brink made the necessary hac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations and imme,Ii-
ately notified Major Greene and
Kennedy.
Although the officials here incl
ing Major Greene, Dr.. Anles and
Brink of the Public Health .sr-v..-
and Doctors Kennedy and Locke
P. III. s.. are convinced that bt
plague exists and are handing u.
uation until the arrival % DR..
liams.
In the meantime Major Greene has
notified officials at ali ports TO OBJ
serve the customary health precas-
tions in such cases toward al ve@-
eaIu haf csz.
have also been taken to fumixafe al
outgoing ships and freight cars
In making the Information pubic,
Major Greene said: This is a matter
OF public safety and must be .l.a,is
known. We are positive that bubonic
plague has appeared here for the first
time in Florida but we feel confident
that the situation will be handled cor
rectly and there is no need for alarm.
There will be no quarantine of hu-
mans. nor will commerce lie interfered
with. There Is no reason why the de-
velopment of the port should be hand
icapped in any way"
The following bulletin was issued
from local headquarters OF the State
Board OF Health. Laboratory building.
last night:
June 13. 1920.
Bulletin No. 1.
Following the death OF Mr. Peter
Gardina last night certain tests wctc
made by representatives of the Flor.
ida State Board OF Health which seem
10 confirm the previously announced.
provisional diagnosis OF bu bonic
plague. Owing 10 the seriousness OF
the occurrence OF a case OF bubonic
plague the health authorities are with
holding final. official announcement
until such time as all possible tests
and requirements are met.
The situation is being regarded
and handled in the same manner as
in the case of a positive one OF babonic
plague. All citizens are urged tn CO.
operate to the fullest extent in assist
ing in the rat eradication measures
that are being placed in effect. az rap
idly as possible.
Particular stress is being placed
upon the statement that only BY elimi-
mating the rat can the present dan
ger be removed and the occurrence OF
future cases be prevented. To this
end every citizen is urged 20 enter
whole-heartedIy into the rat eracica-
tion campaign.
BY so caring for food stuffs of al
kind in a manner that viii prevent
rats from securing food the task OF
successfully trapping the rodents viii
be made much easier and effective
Particular care should be taken 10
place garbage in cans OF othe- ra:
proof receptacles supplied with accu-
f1~
Don't feed the rat that feeds the
flee that bits you.
AS soon as rats are captured they
should be killed and dipocd in kero-
sene in order to kill the fleas shat soon
leave the bodies of dead rats and then
attack other rats or humans.
1t is urgently necessary that al. rats
caught and killed should be tagged
with plainly written information as 10
the exact street and house number at
which the rat was caught in order that
such cases of rat plague as are ais-
covered may be accurately Identified
as TO place of origin and intensive
measures adopted for the destruction
of rats be instituted in the part.cn-
lar locality. All dead rats should DO
delivered to the laboratory Of the State
Board of Health on ~. Palafox-st.
In general the present measures that
are adopted are for the purpose OF
determining the extent Of the existence
OF plague among rats. In the end rat
proofing of buildings win be the only
satisfactory means OF safeguarding
against the future occurrence of bu-
bonic plague in Pensacola or other
Florida cities.
RALPH " GREENE.