The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-17
F[APPERD|NNER
KILLS RATS
IN TEST
Rodents Give Up Ghost to
Prove Better Food Is Re-
quired by Humans.

BALTIMORE, Feb. 17.-If in a
moment of unfilial doubt there
arises suspicion that those delicious
culinary contrivances of mother do
not contribute to the enhancement
of your complexion or that they
are deleterious to the preservation
OF teeth, the luster of eyes or the
maintenance Of normal nerves, pro-
vide yourself with a rat, feed him
on the same provender and observe
the results.
This advice is particularly aimed
at the American flapper, whose
everincreasing demands for cos
metics to amend the ravishes Of
improper dieting upon, her COM
plexion has enlisted the corrective
interest of Miss Nina Simmons,
who has under her personal charge
and direction more than 1000 rats
at the Johns Hopkins medical
school, the rodents being used prin-
cipally to determine the effects Of
certain foods common to the table
Of civilized humanity.
Not alone is the food of the hu-
man supplied the rodents, but soft
strains Of classic music are FIRE.
quently supplied with the viands
in the rats refectory in order to
ascertain if melody has any serious
bearing upon the digestive organs,
just as jazz is poured forth to WOO,
inVe1gle or enhance the appetite
OF the flapper at cabaret suppers.
DeplOres Use of Cosmetics.
Miss Simmons is carrying on ex.
perimental work with her 1000 rats
to ascertain what is good to eat
and what is not, under the SUPER
vision Of DR.. e. v. McCoIlum, pro-
lessor Of chemical hygiene. school
Of hygiene and public health at
the university. BY such expert
ments, she says, she has discovered
how faulty diet effects the general
health and how even mental de-
velopment is arrested by the wrong
choice Of chow"
She deplores the increase use of,
cosmetics by the girls of America,
attributing their general election
for the lipstick and rouge pot to
a pallor induced by erroneous selec.
ton Of grub, there being too
much meat, potatoes, bread, pie
and coffee on the familiar bill-of-
fare and too little sleep at the end
Of the day.
A quart of milk and plenty of
makes capital meal, she declares,
and will make cosmetics a total
loss to the apothecary who carries
them in stock Miss Simmons
drinks a quart of milk day, she
says, and is certain it will pro-
long life. The rats prove it, she
AYERS.
Rats With Many Ailments.
II often see people in the street
who remind me Of my rats" confid-
ed Miss Simmons yesterday, as she
moved caressingly among a multi
plicity of cages containing rodents
of all descriptions, but all equally
to the person who has
not been brought up to love them.
MY rats, when they are given the
wrong diet, take on the same
Again she turned her attention to
her pets, some of which were rem
dered particularly interesting be-
cause of acute cases Of ricketts,,
scurvy, eye-trouble, bow-legs, knock
knees and other diseases that ap-
peal to the experimental taste.
THE condition of these afflict-
ed ones was all brought about by
their diet" continued Miss Sim
monts, selling a rodent by the tail
with the assurance and familiarity
of a sister of the famous Pied
Piper.
Many farmers know more about
feeding their cattle, for which they
get good prices, than the average
physician or parent knows about
feeding children" she went on con.
temptuously. But don't you think
this ia a nice little rat2"
Gets Bite ON Finger.
AS she spoke she stroked the ami
NAL in her hand, but the ungrateful
rodent bit her and was dropped to
the floor with a sudden scream.
it's keeper gazed upon
a bloody finger.
That's all in our work." she sigh
ed resignedly. I'VE often get such
bites"
Inspired as one who seeks the
authority Of the Delphie
oracle the reporter asked if mango
and human badness were of similar
origin. Miss Simmons promptly re-
piled that the latter might be set
down to the hirsute poverty of fore
fathers, that it was undoubtedly
while mango came from
other causes.
my greatest ambition is to pro-
duce a rat with a pink nose, white
head and pure black body and feet.
There is no such animal yet, but
in another ten years I will breed
one," continued Miss Simmons with
grim firmness.
ARCHAEOLOGY LEAGUE
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