Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-14
pERATlzATioN.
Fighting the Rat Is Form of Health
insurance.

plague was noticed. To-day the reason
of this relationship has been found,
and we have learned anew that useful
as the rat once was as the unpaid viii
lage scavenger, the time has come
when the rat must go.
Rats have bubonic plague which
travels from them to men through
that common carrier of plague the
flea. Rats also suffer from leprosy, the
cancer, and Il number of other dis
eases. but 1t is not proven yet that
they transmit these to man. From
the economic standpoint, 1t is equally
important that rats be evicted from
the habitations of man. The board
bill which they levy is in the aggre-
gate enormous, while the annual loss
es which we suffer through their wan
ton depredations rounds out their
total cost to man to figure approx
mating millions. Hence deratization.
Fighting rats is just like fighting
anything else. Dependence is not to be
placed on any single measure. A
pugilist with single punch does not
last the first round. In liberalization.
the enemy is to be simultaneously
starved, poisoned, trapped and evict-
ed
In starving rats, the prime point of
attack is the garbage can, because
rats are natural seavengers. This
means the enactment, by all organized
municipalities, of ordinances requiring
householders To have water-tight
metal garbage cans with tight fitting
lids. Next comes an efficient garb-
age collection and disposal service
and the proper supervision of the
presons employed for this work. This
accomplished, there is an immediate
| decrease in the available quantity of
rat food Then all food supplies
should be removed frem rats by being
placed in rat-proof containers
In order to poison your rat. first
starve him. The United States Public
Health Service has experimental with
a large number of poisons, and it is
the coneensus of opinion of the of
| ficers who have done this work THAI
poisons which have phosphorus as
their active agent, are the most eff
feetive. 1t should be borne in mind
that phosphorus is liable to spon-
taneous combustion, and that it do
teriorates somewhat rapidly. To
overcome the first objection it is wise
to employ poisons In which the phos-
pherus is mixed with glucose. The
| deterioration of the phosphorus is
really not an objection. If rats do not
| take poison in the first few days it is
put out, they are not likely to take it
| at all. Therefore. it is better to en-
| ploy as poison, a chemical which
loses its strength so that if it is taken
| by some other animal later. no harm
| Will result. Little cubes of bread are
the best rat bait. but care should be
taken that all six sides Of the cube
are covered with the poison These
morsels should be placed in rat holes
and in other situations where they
may be taken by rats. but not by do
nestle animals or children. After
| the poisons have been left out long
enough for the rats to take them, If
they are going to, all poisoned pieces
of bread which are left behind should
be collected and destroyed.
| Rats cannot be exterminated by
traps alone, any more than they can
by poison or starving alone, but trap
ping is a useful adjunct to other de-
ratization methods, When the United
States Public Health Service conduct
ed the plague suppressive measures in
San Francisco, two types of traps
were used. the large cage trap and the
snap trap. Each is useful. but in the
long run, the snap trap proves best.
The best cage trap is the large 49,
| inch French type. II should be bait
ed with some odorous food, to which
| the rat is not accustomed. The snap
trap should he perfectly fiat and
should have good strong spring
hung on a hair-trigger ready to go off
the minute the rat touches the bait
Tough old bacon makes the best bait
for such trap. De not put the trap
in the middle of the room, Rats run
by feeling with their vibrissae or
whiskers. Therefore rat runs
around the walls Place the trap
against the wall.
1t is a wise thing for individuals to
trap rats. 1t is even better for
municipalities to do so. In such a
case all trapped rats should be
slipped into strang paper bags which
are tied tightly with a piece of string,
and delivered to the city bacterologist
so that he may examine the dead rats.
This should be done so that if plague
happens to be present in the rodent
community, it may be eradicated there
before it has had an opportunity to
spread to man.
Evict rats from human habitations.
The best way to do this is by rat
proofing. Concrete is the best agent
for this purpose and ground areas,
easements and side walls should be
protected by this material. This APP
plies particularly to stables. When
San Francisco waged it's world ia :
nous war on the rat, under the direc-
ton of Surgeon (now Surgeon Gen
eraD Rupert Blue, of the United
States Public Health Service its 1000
odd stables were protected by con-
create. The measure not only kept
the rats out, but also resulted in a
marked Improvement in the equine
public health. Next to concrete, the
best rat -proofing material is sheet
metal This lacks durability, but is
good as temporary device. 1t is par
| ticularly valuable in protecting grain.
| flour and the like when these articles