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Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9615, 18 April 1900, Page 2

HINTS BY A HEALTH OFFICER. Dr. Gresswell, chairman of the Victorian Board of Health;, has prepared a; circular for the information of colonists respecting the plague (or black death, as he calls it), and the steps that; should be taken to prevent its' introduction or limit its effects if it should make its appearance. He says: "After infection has taken' place in man an interval of two or six days generally lapses be>fore illnesjs commences. It is characterised by high fever, marked headache, nausea, vomiting and early prostration, and, two or three days i later, by pain and swelling (called buboes) in the groin, in the armpit in; the neck and under the jaw, and it last® from three to ten days."; It may be veiy mild, or, on the other hand, it may kill within a few! hours. Generally it is fatal to about fourfifths of the persons attacked. -It may almost from, 1 the first affect thr lungs or bowels^ and in such! cases the fatality is even higher. Staggering gait, sunken eyes, apathy of expression, and redness of white of the eye are early symptoms." The germ., the doctor goes on to remark, which may be transmitted from one individual to another, or from man to rat and ra,t to man, escapes, in the) urine; stools or sputum of the patient,, and the disease may be contracted when those discharges are inhaled in dust or swallowed in contaminated' food or water, or from contaminated hands, or are implanted by inoculation into the system directly or by the agency of insects. Inoculation' through the skin of the "bara feet frequently occurs. The germ is not found in the sweati The infected ra,t leaves 1 its excrement and other 1 discharges and the matter from itsl open sores on the food, meat utensils and furniture, so that infection of persons in the house readily takes place< Insects also,, living on the rat, may directly or indirectly convey the infection to man. To limit the danger residents are recommended to take steps to eliminate the rats from dwellings an<f outhouses; to prevent them havinp access to food supplies ; to 1 avoic 1' rags and dirty clothing; to properly cook all food; to be scrupulouslj clean in and about the dwelling; thoroughly ventilate and sunlight tto dweljing, maintain a, good standard of health, and sed that all sewage :.• promptly and effectively removed and that the wholesomeuess of, the witter supply is iWttrei