The Prevention of Plague

Abstract

A MEMORANDUM on plague has recently been prepared by Dr. Newsholme, medical officer of the Local Government Board, and has been sent to the sanitary authorities of England and Wales, with a request that their officers should endeavour to secure the adoption of the suggestions contained therein. The memorandum gives an interesting conspectus of the essential features of the disease, and deals mainly with its methods of spread and the measures which, in the light of recent researches, must be taken for its prevention. Fortunately, plague, although a disease capable of manifesting itself as an epidemic of a widespread and virulent character, is now so well understood on its epidemiological side, that the direction which preventive measures should take is obvious. The situation may be summarised in the dictum—“no rats, no plague.” Practically, however, the matter is perhaps not so simple as it may seem.