Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30


cially with the germs in question. The lat
ter were first isolated and identiheo py inc
German Prof. Loeffier. who by means OF
them is said to have cleared Thessaly Of
plague of these animals during the last.
year. A similar affiiction has now attack
ed southern Scotland. From time to time
mice OF the same family, though OF DIFF
ferent species. become epidemic. as 1t were.
in one part or another of the United States.
doing great damage to the crops.
Prof. Loeffler was employed by the Greek
government. which paid all the expenses
OF his work in the province Of Thessaly.
On reaching the scene OF the plague he pre-
pared many gallons Of an infusion Of oat
and barley straw. The straw being boiled.
the water from it was poured through
sieve into tin vessels resembling milk cans.
Then little glucose was added. and the
mixture was dosed with a small quantity
of gelatine containing a pure culture Of the
typhus bacilli. Finally, 1t was subjected to
a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Under these conditions the germs were
propagated by millions in the solution with
in a few hours. 1t only remained TO dip in
to It pieces Of dry white bread. a bit Of
which was placed in each mouse hole.
Ate the Bread and Died.
The mice ate the bread. and within from
six to eight days they sickened. dying in a
few hours. To begin with. an experiment
was made with a field which was so thickly
infested with the vermin that the ground
was literally riddled with their holes.
Around this area a ditch was dug, so as to
isolate IT. and then the infected food was
scattered about. A fortnight later not one
Of the rodent pests remained alive. 1t hap
pens that the disease is one to which no
Is danger
Is involved to man or domestic beasts. In
order to Satisfy the people In Thessaly OF
this fact Prof. Loefner and his assistants
ate in their presence pieces OF the poisoned
bread and fed them to dogs and cows.
Mouse typhus is not contagious.
Recently q scientific commission was ap-
pointed in Scotland to investigate the plague
there, and members of 1t travelled all the
way to Greece for the purpose Of observing
the results Of Prof. Loeffiers work. They
were not satisfied that his achievement was
as satisfactory or complete as had been rep
resented. The disappearance OF the mice
might be attributable to one of those cpl
denies which naturally arise among animals
that have multiplied excessively. This is
one OF natures methods of keeping down
the numbers of species which might other
wise overrun the earth. Another objection
to the remedy was based on the non-con-
tagious character of the disease, which is
only communicated to those mice which
actually swallow the bread Healthy indi-
viduals are supposed TO be infected by eat
proved.
But the most important difficulty was con-
sidered to lie In the high cost of the inocu-
lating gelatine culture, which Prof. Loef-
her furnished to the Greek government at
III for small tube However, Uncle Sans
PSYCHOLOGISTS do not indorse these views.
they say that. with the plant possessed by
the bureau Of animal industry, the stun
could be turned out for ten cents a tube
Now, the contents of a single tube are suffi-
cient to fill with the germs a volume Of
bouillon or other suitable solution equal to
that OF all the oceans of the world. All that
the microbes need is a start and food to live
on. Thus # will be seen that the requisite
disease-producing material could be made
Tor treating even a large farm being not
very great The gelatine culture preserves
its properties for two months
Dfmerent Species of the Same of Geuus
The field mice of Thessaly, Scotland and
the United States are three different species
Of the same genus. Unlike the others, those
OF Scotland do not live In burrows, but in
the heritage All OF them eat the roots Of
every kind Of vegetable. In meadows they
i've almost entirely on the roots OF grasses
thus reducing the yield of hay per acre
often very largely. When they become SO
numerous that their ordinary food supply In
msumcient they deyour everything green.
Iney 90 great damage to fruit trees in
WINTER py gnawing away the bark all around
sne trunks from the ground level to the sur
race OF the snow. In this way they will
destroy entire orchards and in the same
manner tens of thousands of naples and
oeeenes are killed. In Scotland they have
by ru,ning nt tSa injury on the sheep industry
-, ung me recent plague in Thessaly the
mice were present in such swarms that the
t nsns were vocal with their squeaking Elk
ounary stories are told OF their doinRs
IN one instance q farmer had given order.
.net several acres should be moved the
next morning when the laborers arrived
haG aa oenu no grass to cut; the vermIn
ha1 destroyed the entire crop In a single
nignt. On another occasion q miller vent
70 neid and cut a quantity of corn. which
ne ne loaded on an ass and brought to his mill.
Inen ne went for a second load. hut on HE
return he found scarcely a yes,fre ~ ths
nrst load remaining. Supposing that he
mad been robbed, he hid himself for the
purpose OF watching. and presently an |
army Of mice appeared and proceeded 10
carry OF the grain. There is mention of /
such plaques Of small rodents in the Bible
ana the ancient Greeks had a mouse-k killing /
eod-Apollo Myoktonos.
Inc held mice of the United States are
not more plentiful in any particular part
or the country than elsewhere From time /
10 time they increase enormously In num-
oers In one section or another and become |
a plague for one or more seasons. Like the /
Greek species, they live in shallow burrows,
each pair having its own dwelling. In
wnich they rear their young and deposit a |
stofe oI 1000 Tor the winter. TheSe SUD-
terranean houses are kept scrupulously |
clean. The animals produce three or four |
filters year for each female, with i've or |
six young ones at a birth. Sometimes this 1
rapid rate of reproduction is increased be- |
yond the normal limit. The causes which |
bring about the plaques are difhcult to as /
certain. In Scotland the present trouble is |
attributed in part to the destruction of the |
natural enemies Of the mice, such as owls |
crows and weasels.
The Most Deadly Foes.
The most deadly foes of 6eld mice are |
the short-eared owls, which are always |
present i'm great numbers when a plague |
occurs. Enemies quite effective in their 1
way are adders, but 1t would hardly be |
practicable to encourage the propagation |
of dangerous serpents for such a reason |
In South America the plains of the Argen- |
tine are much infested by these rodents |
which are preyed on to some extent by /
armadilloes That these queer and clumsy |
animals should be capable mousers is hard |
TO realize. but such is the fact. One OF the |
most curious methods adopted for fighting |
these vermin Is to scatter about a mixture |
Of powdered burnt gypsum and dry wheat
meal, to which sugar and a little aniseed |
oil are added. The mice eat the stuff with
avidfty. when taken into the stomach
It combines with the gastric juices to form
solid ball. and Mr.. Mouse dies of indi-
gestion.