The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-18


hardship on owners of property in
Pensacola, and at the same time in no
wise weakening the effective of the
rat proofing law.
Arguments We're proposed by the
committee of citizens for the ellmlna-
ton of any standard method of rat
proofing established where food stuffs
We're kept, and the substitution of
some non-descript system for rat
proofing such establishments in a
way that would best suit the ind1vi-
dual owner. It should be reaHzed
that such law to- operate in con-
siStent manner and to be effective
must establish a standard method of
procedure. The experience of the past
sixteen years In anti plague work has
demonstrated that there is only one
practical rat resistent material, that
is concrete or bricks laid in concrete.
Metallic netting may temporarily suf-
flee, but if laid in flooring it is sub
ject to corrosion, and sooner or later
will become broken in places. Vari-
GUS expedients have been adopted for
providing a rat resistent flooring and
practically none have proven salts
factory with the exception of con-
crete. stone, terrazzo, etc.
Certainly it seems that judgment
based on experience should be ac-
corded greater confidence than spec
ulative opinion that is more Or less
biased by selfish interest.
trust that the representative citi-
zens of Pensacola will give their
hearty support to an effective rat
proofing ordinance and that hey will
encourage it's rigid enforcement. If
he lot
ance which the Public Health Service
and the Florida State Board of Health
will render, I feel assured that the
sanitary campaign in Pensacola will
be brought to a successful issue with
in comparatively short time.
If the necessary cooperation is
withheld, you may rest assured that
plague will continue in Pensacola for
many years to come, more or less
dormant at times in the rat popula-
ton, but appearing from time to time
In the human population, and at all
times to continue menace to outside
places to such an extent as national
and state restrictive measur may
fail to safe guard
Plague is the most insidious and
the most tenacious of all diseases. It
is essentially and primarily a disease
OF rats, and it occurs in man only
during certain periods of excessive
flea prevalence, or when the environ
ment provides close contact with the
rat extensive harborage in dwelling
or place of Occupation), or on the
other hand it may appear in human
population whenever plague has SO
declmated the rate population that the
rat fleas fail to secure the preferred
host and necessarily attack the HUI
man being. In civilized communities
plague does not cause any sensational
outbreak such as yellow fever or
cholera, but it's ravages are continu-
Gus and year in and year out the toll
of human lives mounts up
Plague is practically an exotic
disease in the United States. 1t has
on one or two occasions gained a foot
hold, but at all such times it has been
readily controlled, and it is the pur-
pose of the Public Health Service, and
think I can vouch for the Florida
State Board of Health as being of the
same mind, if it is not controlled in
Pensacola as it spread from that place
will be prevented by means more irk-
some and expensive to the businss in
straight forward fight to eradicate
the disease within the city. o..
Thanking you for this opportunity
for an expression of my views,
Very truly,
HUGH S. CUMMING,
Surgeon General.