Handbook of medical treatment . ry short-lived, probabh- notmore than a few days, and even a shorter time under un-favorable conditions such as sunlight. Experience in Manilashowed that practically every case of plague could be identi- BUBONIC PLAGUE. 371 fied more or less directly with fleas that were not far removedfrom a plague rat. But this direct connection only becameapparent after considerable experience in finding rats. It isgenerally found that a dead plague rat could be found in aceiling with cracks, or a floor with openings, or in a hollowwall close to a bed in which the human victi
Handbook of medical treatment . ry short-lived, probabh- notmore than a few days, and even a shorter time under un-favorable conditions such as sunlight. Experience in Manilashowed that practically every case of plague could be identi- BUBONIC PLAGUE. 371 fied more or less directly with fleas that were not far removedfrom a plague rat. But this direct connection only becameapparent after considerable experience in finding rats. It isgenerally found that a dead plague rat could be found in aceiling with cracks, or a floor with openings, or in a hollowwall close to a bed in which the human victim slept. It isassumed that the plague flea, not finding another rat for itshost, sought its human victim. It was also possible in Manilato prove that fleas were responsible for the transmission ofthe disease, by placing healthy guinea-pigs in the bed or roomin which the human victim died. In the course of four orfive hours, rat fleas would be found on the guinea-pigs. Ifpermitted to remain, the guinea-pigs often died of Fig. 15.—Rat shown in bamboo joint of the floor. There is much reason to believe that so long as fleas canfind rat hosts they will not attack human beings. In tropical countries bamboo structures have been foundto be directly associated with the spread of the disease (seeillustration). This is due to the fact that the round bamboojoints make admirable harboring places for rats, and when ratsdie of plague the fleas leave these hiding places, and frequentlyfind a human victim. In some sections of Manila, for instance,and in many parts of Java, plague was eradicated by cement-ing the ends of bamboos used in construction. Pneumonic plague probably spreads directly from man toman. For instance, in the outbreak in Manchuria many doc-tors and nurses were victims of the disease, but as soon asproper masks were used by those caring for the sick the infec-tion among attendants ceased. Strong and Teague foundplague bacilli in droplets of mucus expelled during co
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