IN THE VICTORIAN ERA 17 



infected with these bacteria over fields which were 

 invaded by them. The Greek Government took 

 up the question, and Loeffler's method was applied 

 with brilliant results ; the disease was disseminated 

 with extraordinary rapidity and severity, and the 

 mice were readily destroyed. 



It is highly satisfactory to find that the charac- 

 ter of this mouse-bacillus has stood the test of 

 time, for after a period of more than ten years 

 most encouraging reports concerning its efficiency 

 still continue to be received. In one of the latest 

 of these, drawn up by the Director of the Experi- 

 mental Agricultural Institute in Vienna, we read 

 that in no less than seventy per cent, of the cases 

 in which it was employed it was completely suc- 

 cessful in its work of extermination, and it is 

 interesting to note that in a considerable number 

 of these instances it was the domestic mouse 

 against which its energies were directed. The 

 rat has, however, until recently escaped the hand 

 of the bacterial executioner, but his knell has also 

 now been sounded in the announcement that a 

 rat-bacillus has been discovered. s 



Considering the undesirable notoriety which 

 these rodents have of late obtained in connection 

 with their undoubted culpability in the dissemi- 

 nation of plague, this discovery, if correct, should 

 be warmly welcomed. That there is plenty of work 



