50 DDT— Killer of Killers 



pression that DDT is harmless to man and other animals. 



It will poison and eventually kill if a lot of it is eaten over a 



'long period of time. For example, rats fed one part of DDT 



tin 10,000 parts of foodstuffs began to have convulsions after 



I two months, and died within a few days thereafter. Other 



rats and mice fed on diets containing 0.05 % DDT showed 



, definite signs of poisoning after long periods of time. And 



I sheep put out to graze in a pasture treated 48 hours previous- 



I ly with 40 pounds per acre of 10 % DDT dust showed neuro- 



! logical symptoms after about 3 days, although none died. 



Mice, guinea pigs, dogs, cows, horses, and rabbits — in 

 addition to rats and sheep — have been given sufficient DDT 

 over periods long enough to kill them, or at least to make 

 them sick. The different species of animals showed marked 

 differences in their susceptibility among different individuals 

 of the same species. The same is probably true with men, for 

 one man's meat is often another man's poison. Some of the 

 less reputable members of human society have been known, 

 on occasion, to drink copious quantities of automobile anti- 

 freeze and other equally unattraaive concoctions. Some of 

 these individuals seem to thrive on such a liquid diet, while 

 others with less rugged constitutions soon lose more than just 

 a week-end. 



In general, when an animal gets too much DDT he loses 

 his appetite, his nervous system goes hajrsvire, and he gets the 

 tremors; and finally, if he has had a sufficiently large dose, he 

 gets convulsions and dies. Autopsies usually reveal fatty de- 

 generation of the liver and kidneys and changes in the ner- 

 vous system, but with no apparent damage to the brain and 

 spinal cord. But this requires a massive dose of from 150 to 

 750 milligrams of DDT per kilogram of body weight, de- 

 pending upon the animal, and this is equivalent to about 10 



