The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26
ROUGH ON HUM ANITY
DISEASES SPREAD BY MIN's CONSTANT
COMPANION, the rat
A Pennsylvania Veterinarian. 8 artiins
Assertions About Roienis ms Transmit.
tiers OF Consumption and Other Dreaded
Mnindies -The Cat Tribc In Peril Also,

DrNeFNtpuS hbOut huicnis lrnnSmIf-
tiers OF Consumption and Other Dreaded
Mnind,es-The Cat Tribe In PEEL, Also.
From, ne PhGa.tyhia Pre-.
Dr. s. i. Weber. Assistant State Veterinarian
Of Pennsylvania. read before tho Keystone
veterinary Medical Association on Tuesda
evening. ut the College oil Physicians. paper
entitled The Rat Disease breeder" Tho
essayist advanced tho theory that tho rat is q
transmittor OF some Of tho most dangerous
diseases which nfllct humanity. chicfof which
IL tuberculosis or consumption. Ho cited tho
results OF post.mortem examinations on moro
than 1000 OF tho animals In proof OF the
theory. and then discussed tho best way Of
getting rid OF them DR.. Weber said that no
whore does tho ubiquitous rat do more harm
as disease transmitter than in tho farm
yard and barn. whore he comos into contact
with the cattle and horses. The paper in full
is rs follows:
From tmo whereof the memory Of man run
meth not to the contrary the rat has been looked
uron as ono OF the most persistent enemies Of
tho human race. Ho has DESTROYED tho gar
nered treasures Of millions Of farmers. rem
dsred millions Of acres vnluclcss TO the hus-
bandman. undermined houses without num-
Dor. and even deporulatcd whole provinces b.
bringing tho labor OF man t. naught His
record does not rest upon tho traditions that
tell us ofthe wonderful doings OF the Pied Piper
OF Hamelin. tho important part he played
In making Dick Wilmington twice Mayor
OF London" aud tho just punishment he meted
out tn Bishop Hattie in his corn clokcd castle
on tho Rhine. He has been n post in every
I'll in tho development of the distant
intnre he shall eithcr disnpnear or evolve
nxaS q fuM ssso rse"t Ss ass
| he!incnicr that rests. his homeless body in
the muddy bod Of tho Miami River. There Is
| n all tines prompt to take for his own use the
choicest food that man ran provide for him
| self the rat does excellent service as n scav-
engcy and consumes ton, OF refuse material
which IT allowed to putGify. wollh bec3m tho
c"rta'm means mt pestilence ana death. it IS
been designed: and it is Of record that tho
tcrrib!e. plaques which used to turn the towns
houses have hocn but little known in th,ss
places since rats began to b. among the gre"'-
Tho plaques and nestilencc OF the bygone
centuries do not decimate the ropulations of
wits tnsy baS. 6sr il true h
ground wide berth; they have net b"cn r"ots'l
out ny any Il i not nGssibe tai the
carried the germ. OF the disease to Turkey or
to liindostan. This brings me to, ~ subject
the medical scientist as one Of tho most i'm
portant ever called mp for discussion.
THE EAT TRANSMITS DISEASE GERMS.
When the reader thinks of the countless
by human beings. of their wonderful repro
luctive power: and Of their seemingly Gauss
place t" nnother hInHreds OF mics away. lie
must admit that IL it is possible for tho rat to
s%MySy sessS srms rS nt sS point IT, III
plague stricken London and sought nnoh her
Held did he leave the plague oehi ind. or did he
| keep II share OF 1t to distribute csewhcrct
! l have reason to believe that the rat is n
| transnitter Of some of the most. dangerous
have for ages lnillcd tho ski! Of tho ablest sci
| entlsts in the world.
| For seven wears have been max ing almost
| daily experiments upon the internal "r,;ans ~
| dead animals IN order TO increase my Nnow-
edge Of comparaiiys Pathology. The post
| most part ut tho lampartcr EHc work.. in
the suburbs Of Lancaster Pa. Here. of course.
| were the Loiics Of large numbers OF, animals
| lects for "xaminati"n. III. vicinity OF tho
works swarm.d with rats Many Of those, til,
| time 70 time. and | htrHnlo curious to know
something about the disease that carried 50
to nothing about the rat in books; SO the
thought growing upon mo that the disease
10 tho rat hearst nssnSor man Himself.
2Gn q ISpef h .t fnn
trred in the yarII, Of the glue works, wi hout
any eXer,on; The ANIMAL crawled about about:
picked up offered no resistance. It's appear
anro n!catcd that it was Dis ing OF general lie
Lility. It's body was greatly emarilted. lis
back was arrchch. and! i, iuc,' hore an eXpr",-
sion Of distress. 1t refused food; was
[a"k%d with e, ""nstant cough and it, in -, =
dead IN tine "umf"rtabln prison in WHICH hal
l,a"cd it., ~ mex, suol"ct was healt hicrand
him and then gave him his freedom. lie camo
into the yard regularly for his rh'ioEs Of flesh
the same symptoms that marked he condition
OF my ilrSt subject, and in fourteen days aftor
examination OF these tw" cases drvclorel the
fact that the lungs were badly di-oa sed. Tu-
berculpsis had destroyed the right lung Of
each, an,! OF ly part of "a" eft remained. \s
rothing had ever betn written concerning tho
diseases of the rat was "i.! gel t. r"ly on
tirelr "p"n my own Investigations. which
Ii"yiHG That had come upon nj lcaS. ono solu-
ton OF ne y"x.;i question. hoy tnrcrHn!osis
Diseases. was transmitted auG disseminated.
"oMMrNGcrrEs coHrAGro's DISEASES.
made stuIrnf the habits OF the rat and
pritminentiy Il grcgarious animal, tho rat
EASILY com1mMnn m,n 'nNt2;'o'is dsHaI, 70
contact as woi A. !,y IA" distribution If tho
germ. OF the disease through tie atmosphere.
ono ration Of In"at ry"ry day: ~ tho con,mi-:
sarut was en!pty ~ the supply Of meat on hand
hesitate to attack u weaker, nr"thcrr, Kill hin
and feed upon ia" mnscirsof the victims mock
ana head. AMI sometimes deVDur the whole OF
his body except the skin and bones, sup
Iosc, that tni? virtim's lung, bore the
deal ly tub"r'lc in variolS stage, Of develop
'nuh;, til" Snrrvur vas sur sooner or later.
t. be Infected with tuberculosis. to bear thtt
deceptiyed seas" with hmand in tlmot9 trans
nit 1t in one way OF another to such living
creatures. whether man on beast might
como within In" radius of his influence
Bctwrcn the twn dates mentioned above !
mad" moro than 1000 pust-nortem examine
tions Of rats. ana tho more ] laborcd the
stronger grew nay conviction that the rat.
whether o' tho 1ir!l or tho farn,yard, the barn
or the butlery. the sleeping room or the cellar.
was to an alarming extent tho subject Of and
the transmitt"r OF tuberculosis. and ono OF tho
most mi SchierouS Instruments t. battle medi-
cal science in its "Nortto get upon the trail OF
the disease, to checA II and to eradicate 1t.
THE RAT IN THE FIELD.
There are Of rats eighteen EcnerG and go
species. Nearly all of those are omnivorous.
While some prefer u regular diet OF grain.
others !attcn on refuse. some delight in tho
dclicacies stored IN tho hous awlfa'h pantry:
others take IN occasional sip OF flesh human
blood. as he mothers Of many too -s"arrol aud
nose nbblod babies can testify. Different
species Of rats have different preferences IN tho
choice Of food bat all will cat meat and all
IL, III