The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-05
How Rats Spread
the BubOnic Plague.

I
leans has set about Kidding that city
I of rats The board is going about this
work in a scientific manner, and prom
| Uses that in a comparatively short
| time there will be no more rats. The
method of procedure is very simple.
A number of wire cages have been
| built specially for the use of the
| board to facilitate the study of the
| habits of these troublesome pests.
Rats are caught in ordinary traps and
placed in the cages, where they are
| fed and made to feel quite at home
By watching them under such favor
| able conditions more can be learned
about the habits of rats in few
hours than could otherwise be learned
! in a lifetime
| Speaking of the first days investisa-
tons the Daily States says.
/ The rats were fed with oatmeal and
| they contentedly sat up on their
| launches and munched the flakes.
much as a squirrel handles a nut.
/ Their meals were about five minutes
apart and at the end of every lunch
! they would take a drink of water and
/ then wash their faces just as a cat
would after licking the cream OFF of a
! pan of milk.
| Then the significance Of the rat to
sanitarianS was brought home in a
/ striking manner, for each of the little
! creatures commenced to hunt fieas on
I its body, just as fox terrier would.
! Investigation proved that each of the
rats harbOred liberal flea population.
This is what is feared about the rat.
1 for the fieaS are the sole carriers of
the dreaded bUbonic plague, to in
sure the city against which the board
of health has determined to extermi-
nate all the rats in the city.
/ That the rats are cannibaIS was
quickly proved A young rat, some
! what injured, was put into the cage
along with the old rat and her young.
| Before long the newcomer died and
| the surviving family promptly held
a feast with the remains as the chief
dish. Nothing but the head was eft
/ in very short time
This proves the claim of the max
| ers of the virus which spreads dis
! ease among rats that the animals ge.
! the disease because of their cannl-
baliStic habits.
1t is the intention of the Board of
/ Health to infect all the rats that eau
| he obtained and then turn them loose
all over the city; they will Sicken and
/ die and their remains will be eaten
| by their comrades, who in turn will
die and be eaten And so the disease
will spread until there are no more
rats left to modest property or breed
4 fieas
The board of health announced this
morning that ii would take care of all
| the rats and mice brought in. 1t is
expected that the cages will be full
within a day or so.
The results of the anti-rat war in
/ New Orleans should be watched by
4 the health authorities in other cities.
whether they accept the rat theory re-
Sarding the spread of bubonic plague,
or not If the rodents can be extermi-
mated they should be on general prin-
ciples-
The damage done by rats each year
in every city by waste and destruction
of property is enough to make it worth
while to engage in a vigorous cam
paign OF conquest At the same time
if the rat is a sure enough disease
carrier, then Mobile, Pensacola. and
the other coast cities, together with
the Mississippi river towns. are shar-
eTS with New Orleans in the danger.