A DIRT DISEASE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 31, 7 February 1922, Page 8

A DIRT DISEASE

ANTI-PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS

DANGER MONTH APPROACHING.

Anti-plague precautions form the subject of a circular letter sent by the 'Minister of Health to the mayor of every city and borough, and to the chairman of every town board and county council It .reads as follows :—

"Plague is a dirt disease. Wherever there be tlirt-y premises, dirty kitchens, dirty shops; dirty houses,, or wherever there be i\o adequate provisions of rat proof receptacles for foodstuffs, there will be found the rat in numbers, and the rat is the medium of plague. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks there seems to he a marked slackening of effort in the war to exterminate the rat. Many householders are doing nothing. I desire to warn you that apathy now will be disastrous. This month, more than any other, your' effort's must lie redoubled, for, with the-next month begins the plague season. The Dirt, or' of Health in Sydney, last week, in announcing another human case, stated that a large visitation of the dread disease might be predicted almost with certaintynext month. The danger~of Sydney is almost equally our danger. I would ask, therefore, that your board (or council) shall renew its efforts topoieonand trap rats, and to clean up" your district during the next four weeks. Qnly in this way can New Zealand be assured of comparative immunity."