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35
"In these circumstances the following facts respecting
"plague deserve to be borne in mind:—
"(1.) Plague has an incubation period of 3 to 5
"(in exceptional cases of perhaps 8 to 10)
"days.
"(2.) Plague is wont, especially in its earlier
"testations, to assume a mild form, or even
"to present anomalous symptoms, tending
"to confound it with other and more
"innocent diseases.
"(3.) Plague in all its forms must needs be
"regarded as personally infective.
"(4.) Plague affects rats as well as the human
"subject; it may, indeed, be found causing
"mortality among these lower animals ante"cedent
to its definite invasion of the
"population. There can be no doubt that
"the rat and man are, as regards plague,
"reciprocally infective.
"Athough local authorities should be on their guard
"against plague, it is not intended to suggest that there
"exists any cause for alarm. There can be no doubt
"that, in this country, hygienic conditions and methods
"of dealing with infectious diseases are far in advance
"of those of former centuries wherein plague was
"repeatedly epidemic in our populations; they are in
"advance, too, as we believe, of those in localities
"abroad where plague has shown itself formidable in
"recent years. And in so far as, in our districts, these
"conditions and methods are now satisfactory and
"sufficient, there is the less likelihood of spread of
"infection from plague cases casually imported.