The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-17
City Board Of Health Awaits Ap.
preparation for Purpose
From Council.
HAVE BECOME MENACE IN
MANY PORTIONS OF TOWN
Alarming Increase in Number
Calls for Effective Steps for
Eradication.

Waiting for the city council TO approve
the appropriation OF $1,000 made by the
board OF estimates and apportionment,
the health department IS planning Wig
orous crusade against the rat pest, which
is causing much alarm In the western
part of the city. Certain sections in the
western section OF the city are reported
to be ovcrrun with rats and the pest
is said TO be increasing at an alarming
rate.
The rat plague was practically a thing
unknown in this city until two years ago.
and only during the last year has 1t as
sumed serious proportions, The first
TO have been brought in with a carload
OF beer from st Louis. II Is probable
were brought into the city, but rats In
crease with remarkable rapidity and
now numerous complaints are heard from
different sections.
There are numerous varieties OF rats.
but the one which is annoying the peo-
pie OF Salt Lake Is known as the Nor
wegian or brown rat This Is a strong.
hardy species and soon eXterminates
and drives away other species. The
brown rat also is one OF the most diff
cult varieties OF which to get rid, and
OF rodents. The rat Is a known factor
in the transmission OF several diseases.
among them being a disease known as
rat plague, form OF leprosy and also
a form OF pneumonia. In addition TO
these diseases rat bites are dangerous In
themselves.
Radiance Presents Problem.
The determination OF rats has become
one OF the most serious problems OF the
present time. II the appropriation Of the
board OF estimates and apportionmenl Is
approved by the city council when the
city budget for the current year comes
tonight. the board of health will imme-
diatey take steps toward the eradica-
ton OF the pest in this city II is pro
posed to place a bounty on rats TO oegiini s:iii
prove effective in that 1t will keep the
lads busy killing the rodents to get the
bounty. Trapping may also be tried,
and II it is found necessary the factories
In the troubled districts will be COM
PEELED to ''rat-proof' their buildings. 1t
is also proposed to make residents OF the
thoroughly removing all piles Of old lum-
ber and the like in order to destroy the
nests OF the rodents.
City Health Commissioner Paul has in
his office a copy of a pamphlet issued
by the government public health service
entitled The Rat and Its Relation to
interesting information on the subject.
The following is an extract from the
publication:
Multiply at an Amazing Rate.
Rodent determination is a problem,
with difficulties arising from the animals
highly developed regard for self -preserva- va,
conditions for life. He needs plentiful
food and places suitable Tor nesting ana
breeding. Eliminate either OF these ele-
ments and rats can be driven away. Yet
the problem remains far more difficult
than shown in the simple terms OF the
above equation. The fabulous speed at
which rats multiply will BATTLE all but the
most determined and efficient efforts to
cNterminate them. Under conditions
ideally favorable, 1T has been computed
that one pair OF rats will, in five years,
providing all can live so long. increase
TO 9i0.369. 969. 152.
Campaigns against rodents must cover
five directions: Trapping, poisoning. eX-
of food supply and destroying existing
nests at the same time that the making
of new ones is prevented.
Means Of Extermin alton.
"A more or less widespread campaign
against rats is being carried on in the
much to believe that the rat population
can ever be eXtermlnated from any coun-
try. but by the adoption OF systematic
measures II should be markedly reduced.
II Is not too much to expect, however,
that ocean carriers could be freed of ro-
dents and kept SO, and this action would
confine the plague within continental
when the existing sanitary conven-
tions were adopted several years ago. the
importance OF the subject was just begin
to be ledJZeuS pul uoW tiiit ills idl
has been proved beyond all doubt to be
the greatest factor in the transmission
OF plague from one country 10 another 1t
would appear that the conventions in
question should be amended, and the sur
gcon general Of the public health and
marine hospital service, In a communica-
tion OF February 26, 1909. addressed TO
the secretary OF state, suggested the ad
Instability Of submitting the question of
the systematic destruction OF rodents
aboard ships TO international sani-
t~,t ,f.,.. l,a
adoption OF an international sanitary reg
ulatioD on the subject.
1T must be apparent that such rcgu-
lation would lessen quarantine restric-
tions, prevent the destruction OF cargo
by rodents. and in large measure obViatc
the danger OF the further spread of the