The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-07
MASSACRE OF MICE.
The Government Preparing to Kill
Them on an Extensive Scale.
To Be Inoculated With Typhus-The
Disease IL at Once Most Peculiar and
Destructive-some Very Remarkable
Mi nrratinna
rom the Pittsburg Dispatch.

Destructive-some Very Remarkable
Migrations.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Washington, Dec. 30.-Bacillio of "mouse
typhus" are being propagated just now in
the laboratory of the bureau of animal
industry here The disease is one peculiar
to the family Of tield-mice 1t is proposed
to ascertain if destruction can be wrought
upon that tribe of rodents in this country
by inoculating them artifcially with the
germs in question. The latter were iso-
lated and identified by the German Prof.
Loeffler, who by means of them is said to
have cleared Thessaly Of a plague of those
animals during the last year. A similar
affection has now attacked Southern
Scotland, From time to time mice of the
same family, though of different species,
become epidemic, as it were, in one part
or another of the United States, doing
great damage to the crops.
Prof. L9ffler 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 prepared many gallons Of an
infusion of oat and barley straw. The
straw being boiled, the water from it was
poured through a seive into tin vessels re-
sem bling milk cans. Then q little glucose
was added, ana the mixture was dosed
with a small quantity of gelatine contain
ing q pure culture Of the typhus bacilli.
Finally, it was subjected to temperature
of So Fahrenheit. Under these condi-
tions the germs were propagated by mil
lions in the solution within few. hours.
1t only remained TO dip into it pieces Of
dry white bread, bit Of which was
placed in each mouse-hole.
A THOROUGH TEST MADE.
Tho mice ate the bread, and within
from six to eight days they sickened, dy-
ing within 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 rid
died 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 enc Of the
rodent pests remained alive. IL happens
that the disease is one to which no other
animal is subject, so that no danger is in
volved to man or domestic beasts. In or
der to satisfy the people In Thessaly of
this fact, Prof. Loeffier and his assistants
ate in their presence pieces of the pois-
COWS. Mouse typhus is not contagious.
Recently q scientific commission was
appointed in Scotland TO investigate the
plague there, and members of it Travelled
all the way 10 Greece for the purpose of
observing the results of Prof. Loefier's
work. They were not satisfied that his
achievement was as satisfactory or com
plete as had been represented The dis
appearance Of the mice might be attribu-
table TO one Of those epidemics which nat
urally arise among animals that have
multiplied excessively. This Is one Of ma
lures methods of keeping down the num-
bers Of species which might otherwise
overrun the earth. Another objection TO
the remedy was based on the non-conta-
gious character of the disease, which is
only communicated TO those mice which
actually swallow the bread. Healthy in
dividuals are supposed TO be infected by
eating the bodies Of dead ones, but this is
not proved.