The Greeley tribune., 1912-09-05

sease They are also Tue ""''o
a legion OF parasites, while neas'
,lice and ticks. inlest their marry
bodies.
The rat, then, is menace to US
nbysically. he also threatens us
commercially. Travelling IN the
hodies OF ships. and dogging the
commercial highways OF the world
he Is the veritable old man OF the
sea" whose appearance in the COM
mnpiry is the sign OF impending pes
thence and the resultant CONNER
cial disaster. Bubonic plague is es-
santiaIly a disease of commerce ana
nor only does harm through the hu-
man sacrifices which it claims, but
also because of the great fear 1t en-
genders levies heavy commerclai
tribute. A rat will consume approx
imately a bushel of grain in year.
If the cost OF this be taken at W.
il can thus be seen that the COM
munity suffers an enormous loss in
this way. But the depredations o.
rats are not confined to relatively
cheap articles: the choicest fabrics
and feathers. books and objects o.
art-none of these is spared poul-
try and eggs. seeds and oulos-aii
are destroyed by these vermln, ana
still the Indictment against the rat
is not complete unless we mention
the many disastrous fires which
have been caused by the rats fond
ness for phosphorus which leads
them to knaw matches which have
been carried to their nests. These
are composed of dry and very in
fiamable material and are usually
hidden in some secret labyrinth be-
tween floors and walls, and the fire
reaches unquenchable proportions
before its discovery. We must add
to the charge of arson that of THEFT,
for there are numerous instances on
record in which rodents have car
ried away, for pure wantonness,
jewelry and other articles of con-
siderable value.
Perhaps the most important sim
gle result of the attempt at the lin
itation of rodent activities is rat
prooting of buildings. This is a form
of Observation-Disclosures against fire
and pestilence. 1t is more than
this. it is REPRESENTATIVE meas
ure of the first magnitude, because
it is automatic that he who dwelleth
rat-free taketh no plague The
ideal agent to be used in this build
ing the rat out of existence is con-
crete. Next to it in value come
metal and other substances through
which rats cannot pass. Permanent
rat-proofing is therefore not an ex-
pense but permanent health in
vestment paying good dividends.
When We campaign against the
rat, We not only destroy his abiding
place and exclude him from the
home of man. but we also endeavor
to separate him from his food-sup-
ply as we'll, because the famished
rat does not linger The point of
attack is the garbage-can. II we
could ensure that every garbage-tin
in city was water-tight, we'll COW
condition. We could feel reason
1t is not enough, however, that gar
collection and disposal of their con-
tents requires careful supervision.
This comprehends a study of the
city's entire refuse disposal system
and If necessary its reorganization
" hCCI thC o0AitdAy u0Cu0 Vi luc
municipality.
] he stable. furnishing as it does
both a harbor and a commissary for
the rat, should be rat-proofed by
the installation OF concrete floors;
the manure should be kept in air
tight metal-lined boxes, and the
stable itself should be screened and
connected with the sewer.
Since plague is disease of COM
merce. and since plague is disease
of rats, and since rats journey over
the world in ships, II is the duty
of persons who are charged with
the protection OF the health of ma
rine ports, to kill rats in ships. This
IS best done by periodic fumigation,
either by sulphur dioxid gas. carbon
dioxid. carbon monoxid or funnel
gases. This is cheaply and easily
done. and II these remedies we're
periodically applied at all of the
ports OF the world. 1t would not be
very long before the disease ceased
to follow the track charts Of marine
commerce. In order to secure such
American Medical Association, It
would be necessary for the powers
o the world to enter into an inter-
national sanitary agreement This
would entail considerable labor and
: expense, but II 1t were accomplished
1t would prove a measure OF great
J good Couple this with the exter.
mination OF rodents in seaports and
, plague would soon be relegated tc
: the museum