The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-01-08
THE LOCAL War
ON The RATS

following on the War for Extermina-
ton of Rats, by DR.. Brinckerhoff:
INTRODUCTION: The question of
destroying the rat is an important one
in all communities, particularly
where plague has been or may again
be epidemic or endemic. This ques-
ton is not only of Importance to the
public officials charged with the care
of the public health but also is of
great importance to the whole com
munity in an economic way. Lantz
Farmers Bulletin, No. 297, U. s. Dept
Agricultural states that the rat is res
ponsible for the destruction of many
millions of dollars worth of property
annually in the United States. He con-
siders the rat to be the cause of more
money loss than all other animals to-
gether.
In this community, besides this lit
tie recognized economic reason for a
war against the rat. the question OF
the role of the animal in the dissent
nation of bubonic plague is Of the
! first Importance. 1t is an established
fact that the rat is the carrier, in the
vast majority of cases, of the disease
from one community to another and,
working in conjunction with the rat
flea, is the means of perpetuating the
disease in a given community.
Owing to the cosmopolitan distribu-
ton of the rat it is of little use to
try to eXterminate it in any given
locality, if such a thing were posi-
BILE, unless the re-introduction of the
species were prevented. This being
the case the futility of attempting to
rid a community of rats when the
next ship may introduce a dozen or
more individuals is obvious. Even if
complete determination of the species
is not aimed at it is important that
the use of rat guards on all lines from
foreign shipping and other quarantine
precautions be insisted on, not alone
to prevent the ingress of normal rats
to add to the breeders, but, far more
important, to prevent the entrance into
the community of rats which may be
infected with plague. Supposing that
this exclusion of rats could be ar
ranged for (and on an Island such a
thing is possible if anywhere), what
chance is there of the complete exter-
mination of the rat and how should
this end be sought?
Before beginning this discussion 1t
is we'll to bear in mind a few biolo
gical facts about the rat, particularly
it's reproductive powers. These ami
mails have six to twelve at a litter
and three to four such filters are born
each year. The females begin to breed
at from three to four months of age. A
rate of multiplication of the species is
so fast that only the most energetic
and wholesale methods of destruction
will have any effect upon their num-
bers.
1t seems almost hopeless to expect
that an animal of such tremendous re-
productive power could be totally eX-
terminated unless the cupidity of man
could be called into play. If rat skins
were as valuable as those of the sill
yer fox the rat would soon be exter-
minated or confined to artificially con-
trolled breeding places. 1t seems we'll
therefore to face the fact that total
determination is not within the bounds
of possibility. Exception will at once
be taken to this statement by some on
account of the widespread belief that
an infection disease leg. Danish or
other virus) can be expected to utterly
! eXterminate a species. This belief is
not in accord with what we know of
/ infectious disease. All infectious dis
eases are examples of parasitism. That
is to say the disease is the by-product
of the attempt of a minute and low
/ form of animal or vegetable life to
gain a living by becoming a parasite
upon a higher form of life. It is not
to be expected that this relationship,
when detrimental to the higher form,
will be established without some at
tempt on the part of the living being
attacked to resist the invasion of the
parasite. Our modern knowledge of
the treatment and control of infec-
tious disease rests upon an under
standing of this mechanism of resis-
lance of the attacked being against
the parasite. 1t is evident that the
q presence Of an infectious disease in a
given species of animal in time leads
to an increased resistance on the part
OF the individuals of that species to
the causative agent of the disease.
This increase in resistance on the part
of the individuals of the species at
tackled is met by an increased invad-
ing power on the part of the parasite
but always there is tendency to
bring about an equilibrium so that
both the germ and the animal are able
to continue to exist The tendency