SIR: I have the honor to state that Estaban Masibac, aged twenty-two, laborer, who died at 140 Perla of bubonic plague, slept upon the ground floor of this house upon a bamboo bed. All these basement dwellers in this district now infected with rat plague are in considerable danger. The roving rats which wander over these ground surfaces from house to house come into pretty close contact with these basement dwellers, and it would appear that they visit the upper stories of the houses rather infrequently, unless food is stored there. Upon the ground they forage upon the food dropped there by the residents of the houses. I would like to have authority to order the vacation of these basement rooms which are almost invariably unfit for human habitations. I look upon this measure as an important one at this threatening time and believe it should be enforced in every square or block where plague rats have recently been found. If this authority is granted it will be used judiciously. Very respectfully, [Signed] T. W. JACKSON, _Medical Inspector in Charge of Plague Suppression_. Upon March 24 I received the following letter of authorization: SIR: Confirming my verbal instructions of yesterday I have to request that, in accordance with the recommendation contained in your letter of March 22, that on account of the danger of the spread of plague in the district in which plague has appeared extensively, the basement dwellers in blocks, or squares, in which plague has been found, should be ordered to vacate. Very respectfully, [Signed] VICTOR G. HEISER, _Director of Health_. Upon November 26, 1912, five dead rats were reported from the U. S. Army Commissary Warehouses on the Pasig River near the Malecon. They were found dead by workmen there and were thrown into the river by the finders and thus, unfortunately, examination for plague was prevented. Upon November 27, a cat, known to have caught and eaten rats recently at the same place, was reported to be sick. I took the cat to the Bureau of Science where she was observed until she died, three days later. At autopsy, typical bubonic plague (cervical) was disclosed, and several guinea-pigs inoculated from the spleen and bubo died from the same disease. A guinea-pig, inoculated from a swab introduced into the cat's rectum, also died from plague (see report of Dr. Schöbl). Four kittens, recently born of this plague cat, were observed for two weeks but showed no sign of the disease. Subsequently about 80 rats were caught at these warehouses and in the vicinity, but none of them showed post-mortem signs of plague. The Medical Department, U. S. Army, then took up the matter of rat catching on all military reservations in Manila and in all buildings thereon, but no more cases of animal plague were discovered.