THE PLAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 57, 8 March 1900, Page 4

THE PLAGUE.

- Upon • tko-ticH'-Mnnieii-tr-acting1 undert.he .advice of the best medical talent jo&tautable, devolves the responsibility "for coping' with the threatened introduction of plague to our shores. We presume, therefore, that the reso-

lution to impose a period of fourteen days' quarantine upon all vesels from Australia has been arrived at after due consideration. Since the chief danger of infection arises from rats, it is not perfectly clear to us that quarantining' ships and passengers will • prove- effective in preventing- the introduction of the pestilence, or that discharging- vessels in the stream would not have met t-iie exigencies of the case. Even that precaution is far from being a periect safeguard, for we Heard tins week ot a rat and a litter of six young- ones being- found in a case of goods landed from Sydney. However, as we have said," at is" of supreme moment that- no avoidable risks should be taken in devising- measures to exclude tne plague from our shores, and-pub-lic ieeluig- will probably uphold ->Lmisters in me drastic course which they have decided on. We highly commend a promptitude that will ao much to lessen public anxiety in the face of 'such a possible visitation, and the mercantile community throughout the colon V is also to be praised ior cheerfully "acquiescing-, as we understand, in v regulation that may occasion merchants and others no little inconvenience. In declaring- Sydney infected, and placing in quarantine all vesels arriving' in the colony from that port, the Government have taken an important step towards keeping the plague out of the colony; but it is of course evident to everyone that so long- as the same restrictions are not placed on vessels or persons arriving indirectly from Sydney, the precautions we have adopted are but partial. It is quite possible that vessels coming from .Melbourne might carry with them the undeveloped germs of the disease,-for both cargo and passengers of New South Wales origin may be shipped at Port Philip. The authorities here are doubtless instructed to keep a sharp eye on every ' vessel coming- from any Australian port, but nothing short of stringent quarantine regulations can be relied on to exclude the pestilence that moves so insidiously. We should certainly advise that the restrictions of vessels from New South Wales be made to apply to those from other parts on the continent from which there is any danger of the plague coming. While urging the adoption of the most complete preventative measures, we would" like to allay unnecessary public excitement by remindingour readers that the danger of infection from, the disease, is by no means so great where the. community is cleanly in its habits and the sanitary conditions good. It is for that rae'son that the European population in plague infected centres in India has suffered comparatively little. The experience of Sydney confirms this, for though the plague has undoubtedly gained a' footing there, it has done" very, little damage, and that in a part of the town that is probably the least cleanly in the whole city. To its excellent system of scavengering above ground, and its equally efficient sewerage system, Sydney no doubt owes in a large measure the lightness o-f the present visitation, for although The personal cleanliness of European communities is a great factor in their favour, yet insanitary conditions in a semi-tropical city mustgive great opportunity for the plague. A circumstance'that-'should" make iis' here in Auckland doubly anxious to exclude the pestilence is the low state of our water supply at this time,' which requires a more careful husbanding of the precious fluid than is compatible with absolute purity at-i this season of the year. !Xow, more than at any other period in the twelve months, have we need of copious supplies of water. It should be generously distributed everywhere where dirt is liable:,to accumulate. Unfortunately it is out of the question to get the supply-. we -need just now, arid under the circumstances yve may well regard with more than ordinary apprehension a visit from the plague.