Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-04-13

United States Consul Gowdy at Paris
reports that the Pasteur treatment UNI
doubtedly destroys rats and mice but
there is some question whether 1t is
not hurtful to other forms of animal
life.
Consul Gowdy describes the rat poi. |
son as a preparation of microbes by
the Pasteur Institute in a sort of
soup. in describing the test made by
Drs. Roux and Chamberlain, In com.
pany with a general inspector OF agri.
culture, Gowdy writes the Department
of Commerce: taftf.f
The ground selected by DR.. Roux
for his battle with the rats covered a
space of 1906 acres and extended over
the commtnes of Aigre, Oradour6and
Mons. Here various kinds Of cereals,
vines, and trees abound; and here also
the sowing of various kinds of grain
| last autumn had been completely de
stroyed by these rodents. This meant
also the destruction of fodder for cat
| tle-such as lucern-hence butter and
| milk production was seriously affected.
The ground throughout the district was
literally perforated with holes. which
seemed to be connected underground
by little passages. Such was the con
dition of the scene of operation OF DIT.
Roux. which certainly seemed to offer
a severe test for the efficacy of his dis
covery.
Or. Roux succeeded in interesting
the farmers of the district in these
very important experiments and very
soon the celebrated scientist had or
ganized a corps of assistants on the
spot. These assistants, under the d.
rection of DR.. RouX. dipped quantities
of wheat. oats, and small pieces OF
bread about O.3937 inch, square, into
the bouillon referred to and which con
sequently became Immediately impreg
mated with the microbes which the
bouillon, or soup, contained.
Then the poisoned wheat. ETC., was
placed in and about the holes where
the rats and mice were known to be
The total quantity of poisoned paste
distributed amounted in all to AZ met
ric tons of bread and 9.3 metric tons OF
, oats. while the quantity of bouillon, OF
soup. used was l190 bottles. The to
, tai area of these experiments, as above
, indicated. was 1865 acres.
I The time employed by the farmers
i. who under DR.. Roux's instructions
, distributed this paste represented
, about one thousand two hundred hal
: days--from / to o'clock in the after
noon.
Y ITO determine the effect of this poi
{ soned paste on these destructive littl
!. animals Dr. Roux had the fields tina
d had been microbe treated plowed n
e in order to see the condition of tn
). rodents after they had eaten the past
C and to fix approximately the numbe
d of rats and mice that had succumbe
It to the poison. The results obtaine
/. surpassed all expectations on the par
o of the simple farmer. Rats and mic
e were dead in almost alarming quaint
o ties and became quite as much OF
pest when dead and putrefying as whe
they nau peeh aH'e, o"e h"PPhs
10 another sense Of the word. Dr. Rou
estimates that he destroyed no les
than 90 per cent. Of the rodents b
these experiments. AS many as 10
20 rats were sometimes found In on
Is hole.
y mot satisfied with this ocular den
70 onstration OF the success OF his past
. DIR. Roux proceeded to Held OF a
. area of about 2la acres and -surroun'
. ed by vines. Here he had number
= rat.holes counted, this number bein
= fixed at 12,4s4, which were carefuil
- closed. Two days later the hoies wei