Evening star., 1933-06-11
BY MORRIS FRADIN.

ID MOnhfO RADfNs
- VERY one has read Robert Browning's
poem about the pied Piper of Hame-
lin," Prussia That legendary musician
on July %, 1876 by his piping charmed
a swarm of rats into the River Weser.
1t will be recalled that he received no
reward for his services. In revenge, he en-
ticed by his music, 100 children of the town
to nearby cave which closed on them forever
That quaint story now has more humane
parallel
In the hills of Anacostia, overlooking the
National Capital, there lives the pied Piper
of Good Hope" He is of much stronger
physique than shown by pictures of his his
torical prototype He can't play a ffe-but
he can smile broadly and sincerely. His busi-
ness Is to help spread health instead Of death.
Whereas the ancient pied piper destroyed
rats, the sPied Piper OF Good Hope breeds
and nurses" them into healthy, happy as
sstants Of science. Each year, thousands Of
white rats are horn On his unique rat farm.
and from the instant those blind and naked
pups appear they receive as much considera-
tion and care as human infants could COM
mand.
with lives dedicated to scientific research.
they are shipped from their birthplace in the
District of Columbia to all sections of the
Nation. And from most laboratories they enter
there flashes on suffering humanity new
Or, at least an easier method of attaining and
securing good health.
Three years ago, Mr.. Morris Yochelson, the
"Pied Piper of Good Hope" started his rat
colony with IL females and four male breeders
of the famous Wistar strain And it is as
tonishing to learn how prolific white rats are.
when Mr.. Yochelson mentions the fact that
40 600 healthy albino rats have resulted from
that tiny nucleus of 16 Forty thousand! About
dozen generations and In only three years.
Certainly no race suicide" there!
The pied Piper of Good Hope" is aptly
named. In his serious and difficult occupa-
ton of raising rats for scientists and manu-
featuring chemists, he may be considered the
grand marshal of an army of martyrs-all hv-
ing and fighting for the public's health-al-
ways in good hope" of conquering disease
and pain. And Mr.. Yochelson believes with
the United States Public Health Service that
in experiments intended to effect a cure for
human ailments it is far better to use rat
instead of a man. The white rat is an ex-
ceptionally fine laboratory animal because its
physical, mental and chemical reactions can
be easily applied to man.
1T may be interesting to know" remarked
the Pied Piper" that the first rat born on
my farm three years ago, is now go years"
of age-if it's still living. You see," he ex-
planed, "a rat lives 30 times fast as
human being. Thus, if equal fraction OF
their life cycle is compared, the results Of ex-
periments on rats can be applied to humans"
The United States Public Health Service and
its National Institute of Health, here in Wash
ington, vitany concerned in the rats re-
lation to the public's health Those institu-
tions, together with the Bureau Of Animal In
dustries and Department of Agriculture, have
their own rat breeding and observation labora-
tories. They carry on experiments for the
general welfare Of the Nation. Although
rivals OF Mr.. Yochelson's farm they may call
upon the "Pied Piper" for certain specie of
rodent, which he can more easily provide be-
cause of greater facilities for their breeding.
The Geological Park of this city also breeds
few white rats, but calls on Mr.. Yochelson
for occasional supplies At the Zoo, the rats
are used as food for republics which will eat
no dead creature-preferring to kill their own
prey for food.
The unique rat breeder has built UP his in
dustry however, solely as an adjunct TO SCI
ence And in that capacity he certainly proves
himself benefactor Of mankind.
e has two breeding houses adjoining each
other. Huge ventilators change the air
i'm them every few minutes. Sunlight pours
Through open windows onto the thousands Of
cages. An ultraviolet ray lamp is brought
into use during the Winter months, when drafts
of cold air from open windows would cause
an epidemic of pneumonia
The long rows Of cages are broken by aises
attendants rolling food carts along them.
lThey open each cage door pet and caress the
Inmates arrange the sawdust nests more COM
fortably and fill the pots with food. The rats
frolic about, glad to see their human friends.
They are usually quiet during the day, as