﻿IX, B, 1 Heiser: Plague in the Philippines 19 



are sufficiently reliable to quote them. However, since August 

 13 to September 27, 1913, rats have been classified as follows : 



Gray rats, 1,103; black rats, 220; shrews, 821; unclassified, 

 981. 



PLAGUE IN ILOILO 



In Iloilo, a case suspicious of plague was reported on July 5, 

 1912, and this diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by the 

 laboratory. It occurred in the person of a Chinaman who was 

 reported to have come from Bais, Oriental Negros, but later 

 investigation showed that he had been a resident of Iloilo at 

 least since February, 1912. The next case was reported Au- 

 gust 18, and the last case, September 17, 1912. There was a 

 total of 9 cases. All of the cases were confined to two houses. 

 During July, August, September, and October, 1,146 rats were 

 caught in the vicinity of the houses in which the human cases 

 had occurred, along the water front, and in the places which were 

 regarded as suspicious, but in not a single instance was an 

 infected rat found. 



Doctor Fox, who was in charge of the antiplague measures, 

 concluded that there was a possibility that the disease might have 

 been imported into Iloilo, either from China or from Manila, by 

 means of bedbugs. In view of the experience had in the death 

 of Mr. Crozier, which occurred on September 22, 1913, it 

 would also appear possible that plague-infected fleas might have 

 been introduced into Iloilo and they might have been responsible 

 for the outbreak. However, there is no scientific proof, and the 

 actual facts as they occurred are only stated for what they are 

 worth. 



PLAGUE NOT A FILTH DISEASE 



Our experience in the Philippines shows that plague is not a 

 filth disease. A well-to-do citizen is as liable as the slum dweller 

 to become infected if rats infect his house or other places that 

 he frequents. In Manila, some of the worst slum sections of the 

 city escaped; on the other hand, some of the better sections in 

 which there were large stores of food which attract rats became 

 infected. 



PROBABLE FACTORS CONCERNED IN THE INTRODUCTION OF PLAGUE 



INTO THE PHILIPPINES 



Much time was spent in collecting data which, it was hoped, 

 would show in a scientific manner how plague was introduced in 

 the Philippine Islands. In addition to the routine rat catching 

 which has been practiced for more than ten years, immediately 



