Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-11
RAT AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

/ We are prone to speak in disparag-
, ing terms of the rat, but the more
one studies his manners and customs,
the more he inspires us with respect,
if for no other reason on account of
his versatility in promoting economic
waste and distributing sickness, nota-
bly, bubonic plague. He should be re-
spected, If for no other reason, on &C
count of the enormous amount of
grain, merchandise, poultry, eggs,
game, wild birds, fruits, vegetables
furniture. etc. etc, which he destroys
every year. to say nothing of his in
cendiary qualifications. One authority
estimates that the loss from rats in the
United States is from S35. 100000 to
s5O,OOO.OOO a year. When one consid-
ers the possibilities of the rat popula-
ton, and the fact that a definite
amount of foodstuff of some descrip-
ton must be provided to keep their
bodies alive, il is not difficult to form
mental estimate of the general loss
sustained by the nation through the
rat. 1t is when one undertakes the
work of DISCRIMINATING rats that they
realize the capabilities of Mr.. and
Mrs. Rat to produce children, etc.
etc. The average Mr.. and Mrs. Rat
will contribute three filters a year.
each litter consisting on an average of
ten young. AS a result it has been
computed that Mr.. and Mrs. Rat will
in five years provided all can live so
long, increase by arithmetical progress
sion to $4,000 1863, 152 rats.
Such a result is, of course. impossi-
BILE in nature. on account OF the fact
that with these figures each litter
must have five males and FIVE fe.
males. and every rat would have to
live five years.
II is because Mr.. and Mrs. Rat have
such vOyage-makiug tendencies that /.
the United States government, !
through the public health service, has 4
for a number of years past undertaken /
TO as far as possible eradicate rats .
from vessels. in order TO prevent the .
of plague into United .
States ports. The principal reason I
why il Is necessary TO kill rats on yes
sells to prevent plague is on account
of the fact that plague is carried from
rats to human beings by the fieas on
the rats. After a rat becomes sick of
plague he dies in from one TO three
days, and as soon as his body be
comes cold the feas begin to leave
and seek another warm body. either
another rat or a human, whichever
l. most convenient. The largest yes
sci is, after all. a small enclosure, and
everything and everybody is at close
quarters, so that TO obviate the dan
ger OF plague transmission il is neces-
;ary 10 constantly fumigate vessels to Il
zfI the rats on board IA
The public health service fumigates
IN an average of l.5OO vessels. year ,
or this purpose. the rat find varying
rom 10 300 rats on each vessel. The I
.ctual number of rats destroyed is OBJ {
.iously never definitely known for the !
eason that the rats. upon smelling the I
as used 20 destroy them. will seek
ariOus remote holes and crannies in |
he vessel. and viii die in these places {
II is estimated that a
yer 10000 rats are killed annually by Z
he public health service in vessels 8
lone. From the figures given above :
$ TO the rapidity with which rats can
multiply II will be seen that the scope
Z the preventative work against rat ;
I'm vessels IS very great a