PEACTICE OF MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 



While this disease was being combated so stren- 

 uously on the Pacific coast by the Government 

 authorities, a meeting of the business men of 

 Oakland, California, was held to protest 

 against the "antiplague fuss that was injuring 

 business." When the plague was discovered in 

 San Francisco the business men, newspapers 

 and politicians strenuously denied its existence 

 and strove in every way to discredit the men 

 who patiently and effectively were combating 

 the disease. 



The disease is found enzootic in a little ani- 

 mal in the mountains of Asia. Beliatsky and 

 Reschtnikoff discovered plague in this rodent, 

 which is a sort of marmot, called Arctomys 

 bobac. Plague is continued in Siberia, China, 

 and northern India as an endemic disease by 

 the fleas from this animal. It is possible that 

 it may be a natural host of the Bacillus pestis; 

 but it is more probable that several rodents are. 

 Half way round the world from these regions, 

 for several years, isolated cases of plague have 

 been developing in Contra Costa County, Cali- 

 fornia. During this time an epizootic disease 

 has been noted among the ground squirrels. 

 The Public Health and Marine-Hospital Ser- 

 vice of the Government took hold of the mat- 



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