Report of the Board of Health on a second outbreak of plague at Sydney, 1902 / by J. Ashburton Thompson.

  • Thompson, J. Ashburton (John Ashburton), 1848-1915.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Board of Health on a second outbreak of plague at Sydney, 1902 / by J. Ashburton Thompson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    20 Table XIII.—Showing the situation of premises on the Alexandria area at which plague-rats were taken, and the dates on which they were taken. 90, Wyndham-street ... ... ... - ... ... ... March 21. 47, Henderson’s-road (Kerrigan’s) ... ... ... ... March 25. 16, Botany-road ... ... ... ... ... ... ... April 8. 14, Botany-road ... ... ... ... ... ... ... April 9. Bourke-street (Zetland) ... ... ... ... ... ... April 21. Gray’s stables, Elizabeth-street ... ... ... ... ... April 26. 113. Lastly, on 8tli June, which, as it afterwards turned out, was the day on which the last case of this epidemic was attacked, and on this part of the area, the latter was ordered to he specially searched by the rat-staff. During four or five weeks a large number of rats were gathered from 84 premises very evenly distributed over it (see diagram IV; the part referred to is bounded on two sides by Botany-road and Phillip-street, and on the third, in part, by Bourke-street). None were infected with plague. Survey of the General Eesults of the Search for Bats over the whole of the Affected Area down to 17th February. 114. In order to complete this description of the beginnings of the epidemic, it is necessary to add a reference to the general rat-searcli which was simultaneously carried on over a very considerable section of the city. I take, for the illustrative purpose in view, that part of it which lay between the dates, 16th November and 17th February (Case 23). During the three months, 16th November to 17th February, rats were brought in by three agencies—• the Departmental rat-staff, which delivered a few more than 12.000; the staff of the Local Authority for the city, which brought in 1,732 ; and those collected by the public and paid for by the Department at 3d. a head, which numbered nearly 18,000. The Departmental staff worked over a very wide area, including the city and adjacent suburbs, as well as some rather more remote which were occasionally visited, and those from which plague-cases had been removed ; the city staff confined itself within its municipal boundaries, of course ; while the origin of those presented by the public was seldom accurately known, though steps were taken to prevent them from being imported from distant places The Departmental staff visited and attempted to catch rats at a very large number of premises altogether, although even this total number bore but a small proportion to the total houses standing in the adjoining and other municipalities within which they worked; but the premises to which they paid successfil visits numbered but 438 houses, &c., and 48 wharves ; and their successful visits to this small number of premises were but 1,581. The only plague-rats which were identified were handed in by the Departmental staff; and as a rule the addresses at which rats brought in had been caught were known with certainty only when they had been taken by that staff. The net result of this hunt as regards plague rats is given below :— Table XIV.—Showing the places at which identified plague- 17th February, the dates on which they were collected (see Diagram II). Exton’s produce store, Hay-street Howard Smith & Co.’s, Brisbane Wharf Jones’ produce store, 84, George-street Cleveland and Abercrombie Streets 400, Kent-street, City . Her Majesty’s Hotel, 186, Pitt-street... 445, Kent-street ... 392, Kent-street ... 169, George street West ... 180, Pitt street Buchanan’s, New South Head Boad Matheson’s produce store, New South Head Boad 10, Maclean street, New South Head Boad rats were collected , and the area on between 16th November and which these premises stood November 15 South-central. N ovember 18 Darling Harbour. November 25 Chippendale. November 26 Chippendale. January 28 Darling Harbour. January 29 Central. February 6 Darling Harbour. February 8 Darling Harbour. February 10 Chippendale. February 14 Central. February 14 Paddington. February 14 Paddington. February 14 Paddington. But these plague-rats must not be regarded as the total yielded by the 12,000 rats taken by the Departmental staff; they should be compared with the number selected for delivery at the laboratory under conditions which have been already mentioned (see par. 81); and that was 914. 115. Thus the number of places at which plague-rats were found during the three months, 16tli November to 17th February, was hut 13, and the number of plague-rats identified was hut 18. There were, however, a large number of rats which died of plague, their carcases having been found on premises which yielded at least one identified plague-rat; and were these reckoned the jwoportion of plague-rats to rats caught would he very largely increased. But this would add nothing to our knowledge; for we are aware that plague often rages on premises which are grossly infested, and consequently that the number of plague-rats found must