The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-05-08
WITHOUT RATS
We ARE SAFE
lcontInued rrom pare one.l

. small lSoidleu outtEedh now duu Nhtti
only awaiting those favorable condi
tions, the nature OF which we are ig
norant. TO light up and devastate a:
no other disease can. IN two IN.
stances, at least IL has demonstrated
its ability to strike as hard today Al
II ara IN the past, when conditions be.
come favorable. These Two examples
are IN widely separated parts OF the
worid-Sne IN Mazatian. Mexico, 4
town 81 io.NN persons. plaeue ar
peetVa there IN the winter 81 iecs-el
AeA that c,,Oit, $500 81 400 renNainine
81 these 1870 host thor lives in a rev
months. 1'he other eNan,rle IA hdia
m SetheN that part ~ tnAia which 4
Mrectea THIS AiseAse toacNed hN,nh-
baN IN tNa6 nN,bNahlN httHsht MtectN
n,,M hANakANe N has VohtinWed ns
rANAses eNer siNeyN ana M ~ Mis NeA,
MAS Aestp,NeA iSA,NN tershNs Nv That
vim
VWNNN tNe A,seAsN Mas eNee sAlNeA
A N,AtNNM tNe NNN NNvetiNN teNhe,lN
WAtA yeNNiNs h tNe NNstiNetmN ~
Me rAb N,ls " a ANieNN tNsk Mdeej,
ANt NNlN ApN tNesN YNNNhls NV{N ANNNeFt
NNs w eNefN MNAltN hNt Me Net MAt
tAeN ave CONTINUALLY MNiNs NYNAaht IA
fgNm che NN,stdN M sh,Ps AMI NtNeE
oomMeN VApEleFs a. we'll a. IN NelNNt
tarN m,syat'oM AND the Net tNN ,Ne
lemale siVes hlrth " seNNfAl tNWNsNes
each yeaN IaRslng tgom ave " seven
In each hrood, aud THESE Nv tNrN AN-
come mothers in q few mouths, add "
cur difficulties, Another taetor IN this
Is that nature has So constructed tAe
rat that the tendency Is Tor the num-
her 70 keep abreast OF the foed supply,
Under natural conditions the compe,
tition for livelihood Is always q sharp
one with these rodents, and thereby
the law of the survival of the attest
holds their increase within certain
bounds, Every rat DESTROYED lessons
this competition and multiplication be-
comes more rapid as a result, anc a
larger per cent reach maturity,
IF the destruction proceeds SO rap
idly that the number Is decreased In
spite of the increased multiplication,
those in the more crowded districts
surrounding the area in which the de-
struction is going on, learn that food
is easier To obtain there and migrate,
so one must not only be prepared to
destroy his own but his neighbors' rats
as WELL OF course, this does not ap-
ply in such force to Honolulu. Being
situated on an island. there is limit
TO those that can come to the feast.
and if all vessels are required to wear
rat guards, their being brought by
common carriers can also be elimi-
mated.
1.-The chief measures employed to
destroy them consist in: rendering
buildings rat proof so as to deprive
them of shelter and one means OF OBJ
tanning food; the covering of all gar
bage which supplies them with food;
placing rat guards around the trunks
of bean and fruit bearing trees in local
tiles where the black rat abounds as
it does here; the seeming of sewers
which act as their chief thoroughfares
and hiding places Tin the case of the
grey rat); the offering of rewards for
rats caught and brought in accom-
panied by a severe penalty for raising
rats for this purpose; the placing out
of poisons-these should be of several
kinds in order that the rat may not
come to know, and therefore avoid
them; the use of Danycz virus which
causes a disease among them-its eff
fects are uncertain but sometimes bril-
liant, and should always be tried; the
setting of traps, the most expensive
and least effective of all methods, but
in spite of this it can often be used
where we dare not place poisons
If any person present ever has to
help in meeting a situation requiring
vigorous rat destruction bear in mind
that it is a work of years, and 1t is
a work in which the public funds must
be expended very freely, Furthermore
that until the several nations have
combined to act in harmony inSthis
matter it is a work that must be kept
up for an indefinite period after your
own have been destroyed.
1.-THE task is such a great one that
I fear few communities will take it
up seriously unless conditions are such
that it is evident that either the rat
must be destroyed or they will suffer
severely in both loss of life and COM
merce. Much more is this true in
combination of nations to effect this
work but as must be evident to all on
ly by permanent eradication of the rat
can the disappearance of plague be
brought about, and the work should
be begun long before the disease comes.
Such an effort appears distant today
and possibly conditions will not arise
in America and Europe which will
force man to take this measure. Still
we can not but believe that unless the
history of plague counts for naught,
man will have to adopt this means be-
fore he is through with the disease
which is now steadily and surely
Speeding to all parts of the worlds
seacoasts.
I'm writing ave have considered the
disease from broad standpoint. Com
ing to Honolulu, the destruction of the
rat here, while difficult enough, would
be far simpler than on the mainland,
for once the Island of Oahu was freed
it would not be very difficult, with
proper wharves and shipping regula-
lions, to keep this city free from these
rodents. Whether the expense and
trouble of doing this would be justified
remains for the people of Honolulu to
decide. All can tell you is that city
free from rats can not experience a
plague epidemic, while a seaport that
is rat infested is like a keg of gun
powder which only needs the applica- |