The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-21
Press Comment
Takes Pensacola As a Text.

Takes Pensacola AS a Text.
Nothing but a profane adjective
would describe the kind of a fix Pen
sacola is in. 1t is always the prom
inent citizens" in times of public
health distress who give most trouble.
I'VE can't afford to admit this thing,
it will ruin business and the city will
go busted" they say. But they will
have to admit it and business will go
busted all the same until the time
comes, if ever, when it is realized that
the only way deal with such dis
eases as plague and yellow fever is to
prevent them. 1t is doubtless a very
expensive thing for Pensacola, and it
will require a long time for her to re-
gain her good name. How much more
expensive would it be to Tampa with
it's mixed population to educate to the
sanitary needs, the loss of our tourists
and in a large measure our wholesale
bsiness? Even now in Pensacola with
an epidemic of plague many promi-
nent citizens, it is reported, are deny
ing it, and the city is having trouble
in enforcing an ordinance calling for
the use of covered garbage cans. Are
we in Tampa going to wait until the
covered garbage cans? Only hungry
rats can be trapped or poisoned readi-
ly If rats can find food in an open
garbage can, or around a kitchen door
they will not go into a trap, nor are
they as likely to eat poisoned food.
The first and most important thing is
to starve him, then he will disappear,
submit to being trapped or eat poison,
though not before. How many homes
hotels, restaurants and stores in Tam
pa are sterile of rat. food? Maybe we
have a good system of keeping food
from rats, though do not think so.
am dead sure that the fifteen men of
the charter board who have done a
great work for the city, would have
nothing on a like number of equally
talented sanitary inspectors operating
in Tampa now for a like period. Speak
ing of the charter board and their
work, among the many wise things
they did, that of providing for a full
time health officer for this city is to
be especially commended, for the time
has arrived when the interest of this
city demands its taking care of itself
along this line if there is going to be
any assurance of going ahead. 1t will
make no great difference in the life
and prosperity of this city, whether or
not in the next few years the clinics,
venereal and other kinds are kept up,
nor whether the cavalcade of state doc
tors and nurses periodically examine
the school children, but the odds will
be very much against us if plague or
yellow fever be allowed to slip in on
us, and it is up to this city to insti-
tute and maintain it's own means of
protection, the thing that Pensacola
failed to do. IF the people of this city
know, that this plague is not one of
those diseases like influenza and many
others that prevail for a time and die
out. Plague is not self limiting dis
ease, but when once sesta blished is
usually there to stay. Our government
has fought this disease constantly for
years on the Pacific coast with
partial success. 1t looks as though it
is going to be a very serious problem
for Florida, and the only effectual way
to fight it is to keep it out. hope the |
new city government will, when it |
comes in, find the very best qualified |
young physician for the job and say
to him: There are primarily and spe-
officially two things required of you, |
and until these are accomplished some |
one else will look after the hospitals |
the INDECENT sick and the clinics; these |
two things are: Rid this city OF rats
that we will not have plague, and rid |
US also of yellow fever mosquitoes.
which is the common house mosquito, |
that we do not invite that disease, TO
which we are becoming more exposed /
every day by reason of the new mari
time commerce springing up between
this port and the infected ports of
Mexico and Central America The
small gray mosquito of our houses is
the yellow feversmosquito, named for
nerly Stegomyia F'asciata- but whose
name has been changed for some rea-
son to Aedes Calopus, and it is through
MS sting Tor hers rather, as it is the
female only that stings). and in no
other way is yellow fever contracted.
She quickly becomes infective when
,nce the disease is introduced into any
Southern port, which is her habitat, for
,he does not live except within GER
ain IatitGdinal lines in the warmer