The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-15
NO MORE CASES
OFPLACUE HERE
State Health Officer Urgs Peo-
pie Not to Spread False
and Exciting Rumors
DANGER IS VERY SMALL
Doctors Will Confer With Public
Health Officials Relative to
Needed Ordinances.
DANGER IS VERY SMALL

No further cases of plague have
been reported here, Major Ralph n
Greene, state health officer, said last
night, nor have any suspected cases
been found. All doctor; in the city
are cooperating with the state public
health service officials and the cam
paign for rat extirminatioa is being
mapped out.
DR.. Williams will arrive this morn
ing to take charge of the situation
and committee of local doctors
will confer with him as to needed or
dinances for carrying out the extir-
mination program. They will then
appeal to the city commissioners as
citizens to provide the necessary re-
gulationss.
Major Greene urges the people to
desist from spreading false rumors
and says that Whenever a new case
of plague occurs it will be made public.
He says the officials will not con-
ceal anything and that false rurnors
injure the morals Of the people.
There is little danger Major Greene
says, and calls attention to the pro-
liability that plague infected rats have
been in the city for some weeks.
The following bulletin was issued
last night: 1es1s.
Local Headquarters, State Board Of
Health.
Pensacola, Fias June II, 1920
Bulletin
Upon invitation from the State
Health Authorities, the physicians of
Pensacola met this afternoon at the
laboratory of the board Of health. The
colored physicians were III attendance
also. A general discussion was enter
ed into as to the standard methods
OF recognizing human and rat plague
and the proper means of inaugurat-
ing an educational campaign among
the citizens of Pensacola, with parties
ular reference to the urgent necessity
Of waging a relentless war upon the
rat. Only a few rats were brought
into the laboratory today none showing
any suspicious LESSONS suggesting rat
plague.
AS soon as rat is killed, dip BODY
in kerosene, tag with street and house
number and deliver to the iabora tory,
urge the health authorities. Flees
soon leave the body of dead rat and
are then inclinded to attack and bite
the human. If the rat should happen
to be plague rat case of human
plague might result from failure 20
dip the rat in kerosene.
During the day numerous reports
of several cases of human plague
have been in circulation. The people
of Pensacola are advised that there
has been but one human case to date
and not a single suspicious case has
been reported or seen. The circulation
of false rumors or reports about the
existence of contagious diseases is \
violation of the law, causes unneces-
sary alarm and anxiety.
Anti-rat activities are not to be linn
tied to Pensacola but will be inmed-
diately adopted in every coastwise city
in Florida.
Should human rat plague cases de-
velop here or elsewhere prompt an
of same will be made to
the public. The occurrence of a case
of human plague that is known to have
originated here is more serious that
the occurrence of an imported case
because it indicates that without doubt
plague has existed among rats in the
city of Pensacola for some weeks. The
fact remains that the danger is no
greater today than it has been for
some time. A clam attitude and the
avoidance of friction, coupled with
complete community cooperation in
quickly bring about successful claim
up campaign that viii result in PEN
sacola having an extremely low sick
and death rate and incidentally accom-
plish the elimination of human ana
-at plague.
Ralph \. Greene,
State Health Officer