The Washington times., 1920-07-12
RAT MORE DEADLY
THAN WAR, HE SAYS
Biologist Declares Rodent Has
Caused More Deaths Than
All Conflicts.

NEW YORK. July 1.-THE rat is
responsible for more deaths among
human beings than all the wars OF
history, according to David E. Lantz,
assistant biologist of the Bureau of
Biological Survey, who calls the house
rat the most destructive animal in
the world.
mot all the fatal epidemics of the
past were bubonic plague, but enough
of them have been SO Identified to
show that almost every century of
the Christian era has had at least one
great pandemic of this scourge which
destroyed millions of the worlds
population" he says in a report to
the Department of Agriculture.
THE great plague of London which
killed more than half the inhabitants
that did not flee from the city was by
no means the worst outbreak record
ed. The plague called black death
devastated Europe for fifty years Of
the fourteenth century, destroying
two-thirds to three-fourths of the
population of large territories and
one-fourth OF all the people, or about
5000, 900 persons.
RAvAGES ELSEWHERE.
"Since 1896 plaques have carried
away nearly 5000, 900 OF the popula-
ton of Indian alone. The disease is
still intrenched in Asia, Africa and
Australia and South America and
cases of it have occurred in Europe
and in North America.
"Through the fleas that infest them,
rats are almost wholly responsible
for the perpetuation and transmits
sion of bubonic plague, and 1t has
been proved also that rats are active,
although not exclusive pneumonia
plague. Only the prompt measures
taken by the United States Public
Health Service against these animals
prevented disastrous epidemics OF
plague in San Francisco, Seattle and
Hawaii in 1909, in Porto Rico in 1912,
and in New Orleans in 1914.
"The economic loss due to rats is
astounding. No extensive or exact
statistics on the subject are available,
but surveys of conditions existing in
a few of the older cities of the United
States show that losses due to rats
are almost in exact ratio to the popu-
lations. In rural districts the losses
are much greater in proportion to In
habitants than in cities.
Assuming that there are in the
United States only as many rats as
people, and that each rat in year
destroys property valued at ~, the
total yearly damage is about $780,
900, 900. To this must be added the
expense of fighting rats, including the
large sums paid for traps and poi
sons, the keep of dogs and cats and
the labor involved. In addition the
loss of human efficiency due to dis
eases disseminated by the rat should
be considered.
ITO combat the rat successfully Is
largely a building problem. Build
ings should be so constructed as TO
exclude the animals from shelter and
food. When this is done, individual
and community efforts to destroy rats
will give satisfaction and lasting re-
suits. The program may be regarded
by many as too expensive. VIII II
be too costly? What do rats cost
now7 II half the money now spent
in feeding and 1ghting rats could be
expended in wisely planned and we'll
executed cooperative efforts for rat
repression, IL would be possible within
~ few years nearly to rid the country
OF it's worst animal pest, to reduce
losses from it's depredations by at
least 90 per cent and to free the
land completely from the fear of bu-
bonic plague"