THE WAR ON RATS.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 22, Issue 67, 29 August 1911, Page 2

THE WAR ON RATS.

PLAGUE-PIGHTIHG IN TROPICAL j INDIA. j Plague is the scourge of India, and , the rat is one of the chief dissemi- ' nators of the disease. Recognising j this fact (says “The Wide World , Magazine”),, the authorities of Bombay have for some time past waged a relentless campaign against the rats of the city, with most gratifyresults. This little article gives {some striking facts concerning the crusade.

Recent researches conducted by the members of the Plague Commission in Bombay show that plague in man is intimately connected with plague in rats, and that parasites from infected rats may convey the disease to man. As far back as the history of the disease goes the rat has in some way been associated with it, and rats have therefore been destroyed with the object of preventing or lessening, its ravages. Owing to the rapidity with which the animals breed, however, getting rid of them has always been a difficult problem.

A most up-to-date and efficacious system for destroying rats has been in operation in the City of Bombay for several years, and organised warfare against the rodents is now a routine duty of the Health Department.

Plague, as most people know, is the scourge of India. In Bombay City alone the disease has caused no fewer than one hundred and sixtynine thousand and fifty-five deaths in fourteen years, the highest mortality being twenty thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight in 1903 and the lowest live thousand one hundred arid ninety-seven in 1909—a striking testimonial to the efficacy of the rat-destroying campaign. No fewer than four hundred and thirty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-eight rats were killed during last year, out of which ninetyone thousand five hundred and forty w r ere examined and nine thousand six hundred found to be infected with plague. Loaves of bread are used for making the poison baits. Each loaf is cut into half-inch cubes smeared over with the poison—which is prepared at,the municipal laboratory—and then dipped in powdered sugar and flour. The cubes are all counted before distribution. The heap of material on the ground is used for baiting the traps, and coasts of pieces of bread, fish, cocoanut, and other delicacies beloved of the vermin.

Something like seven thousand traps are in daily use, and all these are washed and disinfected before being distributed in the houses. It will thus be seen what a vast business this crusade against the rat has developed into. Between eighteen hundred and two thousand rats are collected daily—a truly remarkable “bag.” When washed, disinfected, and baited, the traps are taken from one of the Health Department stables toi be distributed about the city. Poison baits are also laid in the passages between the houses. Next morning special men are told off to collect the harvest of rats. The system of trap-setting and collection is as follows ; The area to be treated is marked out in sections and circles, a certain number of men being detailed for each. Bach man has two or three hundred baits given to him, which he lays down between five and seven p.m. Next morning, between'the hours of six and eight, he goes round his ar.a and picks up the baits not used, counting them, and returns them to the ward stables. All dead rats are also collected, and the number of the house, place, and locality noted down upon a label attached to the rat, with the name of the collector. Each rat thus earmarked is put in a tin box and sent to the laboratory for scientific

examination. The result of the examination is communicated to the office of the section in which the rat was found, and, if the creature is infected with plague, prompt action for the disinfection of the place where the rat was found is taken. The inmates of the house are asked to move out Into a camp provided for them while the house is disinfected, and the locality Is then treated again with poison baits and traps. All results are sent daily to the head office and tabulated.

Needless to say, there is a great deal of opposition on the part of certain castes of natives to these measures. On religious and other grounds they refuse to allow rats to be killed or caught in their houses, and notices, " No rat-catchers allowed here,” are put up as warnings to the collectors. For each live rat a quarter-anna is paid, so that a man catching a dozen rats a day adds a good deal to his pay. When the marked rats arrive at the laboratory they are carefully checked with the form sent from the Health Department stables, as each ratcatcher has to be paid for the rats he brings. If one rat is missing or lost on the way from the stables to the laboratory—a distance of , five miles—the rat-catcher loses his fee.

All live rats are put in the lethal chamber and painlessly and instantly killed. The final stage of the business is *the burning of all the bodies in a specially-constructed incinerator.—“ The World Wide Magazine.”