THE BUBONIC PLAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 5

THE BUBONIC PLAGUE

PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE SCOURGE.

SYDNEY, March 8. Mr James Bray, the well-known naturalist, after a careful study of the parasites, warns the public of the necessity for destroying mice as well as rats as a precaution against plague.

MELBOURNE, March 8. Amongst other plague precautions, renewed efforts are being made to destroy rats.

It is positively stated that the suspected case at Fitzroy is not plague.

ACTION IN NEW ZEALAND. The Health Department has everything in readiness for dealing with cases of plague should the disease make its appearance in New Zealand, a contingency which some authorities consider not at ail remote. Australia was declared infected at the time of the first outbreak there, and a contrary declaration has not yet been made. One would have been issued shortly but for the recrudescence of the disease at Brisbane. What the department is doing in the present circumstances is to direct port health officers to take special precautions against vessels arriving in this colony from Capetown, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaida and Perth, anese vessels are to bo quarantined for twentyfour hours, raid during that time subjected to fumigation. Dr Mason says that this period of quarantine is for the purpose of allowing medical inspecting officers to have an opportunity of making a thorough inspection of vessels and their passengers, and of making more than one inspection if necessary. If a port health officer believes that anything is wrong, he can apply for an extension of the period of quarantine, which will be granted. Port health officers have received instructions tort while they are not to unduly or unwarrantably interfere with commerce, they are not to hesitate to take steps to have the period of quarantine extended if they consider it necessary. Dr Mason has issued a circular telegram to port officers and heads of local authorities, pointing out tho precautions which should be observed and tho preparations which snould be made against the appearance of the plague, and the action which should be taken if a case should occur. Dr Mason says it is very necessary that local authorities should be on tho alert at the present juncture, and especially that sanitary services should be in, an efficient stare. The Minister of Health is expected to arrive in Wellington to-day. The Wellington City Council is again offering 3d per head for dead rats delivered at the destructor. In. view of the possibility of the plague reaching the colony a house-to-house inspection, has been commenced, and householders are requested to keep their premises as clean as possible.