Opening the text

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and TreatmentJackson, Thomas Wright

History

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and Treatment

Name: Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and Treatment
Author: Jackson, Thomas Wright

Jackson, Thomas Wright

Plague; Rats as carriers of disease

The season for human cases is determined by the condition of
    the rats. At the close of the season in July the rats die off
    from plague in great numbers as it is then the hottest time
    of the year. During the months from September to February the
    rats increase in number and in susceptibility to the extent
    of being sufficient to again infect human beings. Moreover
    every other year shows a marked severity in the epidemics of
    human bubonic plague. This is explained by the fact that it
    requires two years' time for the rat population to become of
    sufficient greatness and susceptibility to cause a severe
    human outbreak. This is shown by the yearly number of cases
    since the year 1911. During the years 1911, 1912 and 1913
    respectively, there were 253, 1847, and 408 cases. During the
    present year the monthly rate is exceeding that of the heavy
    year of 1912.

    The severe epidemic in 1912 was a result of the influx of
    50,000 Chinese refugees into Hongkong during the revolution
    in 1911. The number of rats in the native district depends
    upon the available food supply, and as a result of this human
    overcrowding the amount of waste food so increased in the
    houses, yards and streets, that the over accumulation of
    garbage could not be kept pace with. This influx also brought
    in great numbers of susceptible rats.

    The number of rats killed off during the epidemic in 1912
    were so great that in 1913 they had not recovered
    sufficiently to cause a severe outbreak during that year, and
    as a result of the lightness of epidemic in 1913, they are so
    increased in number and susceptibility now that they are
    causing a very severe epidemic in human beings.

    Of rats in Hongkong they have the _Mus decumanus_ or drain
    rat and the _Mus rattus_ or house rat. It is noteworthy that
    the drain rat is found plague-infected throughout the year,
    while the house rat is found infected only during the period
    in which the human epidemics occur, namely from February to
    July. The number of infected rats a year run parallel to the
    number of monthly cases.

    The bulk of human infection is due to the spread of house
    rats. Man also becomes infected by the drain rat when the
    drains are flooded by rain storms and the rats are driven
    into the houses.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and TreatmentJackson, Thomas Wright

History

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and Treatment

Jackson, Thomas Wright

Plague; Rats as carriers of disease

The season for human cases is determined by the condition of
    the rats. At the close of the season in July the rats die off
    from plague in great numbers as it is then the hottest time
    of the year. During the months from September to February the
    rats increase in number and in susceptibility to the extent
    of being sufficient to again infect human beings. Moreover
    every other year shows a marked severity in the epidemics of
    human bubonic plague. This is explained by the fact that it
    requires two years' time for the rat population to become of
    sufficient greatness and susceptibility to cause a severe
    human outbreak. This is shown by the yearly number of cases
    since the year 1911. During the years 1911, 1912 and 1913
    respectively, there were 253, 1847, and 408 cases. During the
    present year the monthly rate is exceeding that of the heavy
    year of 1912.

    The severe epidemic in 1912 was a result of the influx of
    50,000 Chinese refugees into Hongkong during the revolution
    in 1911. The number of rats in the native district depends
    upon the available food supply, and as a result of this human
    overcrowding the amount of waste food so increased in the
    houses, yards and streets, that the over accumulation of
    garbage could not be kept pace with. This influx also brought
    in great numbers of susceptible rats.

    The number of rats killed off during the epidemic in 1912
    were so great that in 1913 they had not recovered
    sufficiently to cause a severe outbreak during that year, and
    as a result of the lightness of epidemic in 1913, they are so
    increased in number and susceptibility now that they are
    causing a very severe epidemic in human beings.

    Of rats in Hongkong they have the _Mus decumanus_ or drain
    rat and the _Mus rattus_ or house rat. It is noteworthy that
    the drain rat is found plague-infected throughout the year,
    while the house rat is found infected only during the period
    in which the human epidemics occur, namely from February to
    July. The number of infected rats a year run parallel to the
    number of monthly cases.

    The bulk of human infection is due to the spread of house
    rats. Man also becomes infected by the drain rat when the
    drains are flooded by rain storms and the rats are driven
    into the houses.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and Treatment

Plague: Its Cause and the Manner of its Extension, Its Menace, Its Control and Suppression, Its Diagnosis and Treatment

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