373 - 



G. M. YOUNG. Report on the use of Virus for Extermination 



of Rats. Aberdeen and No. of Scot. Col. Agr. BuL, 12, pp. 10); 

 E. S. R., Febr. 1910. Washington. 



Tests were made of 3 commercial products claimed to be pa- 

 thogenic in rats, namely, Danysz bacillus, Liverpool virus bacillus, 

 and the bacillus of Ratin (Nos. i and 2), the 3 preparations being 

 used in localities at considerable distances from each other. 



From the reports received the following conclusions have been 

 drawn: Each product was successful in killing rats. There was 

 no suggestion of any being harmful to other animals, except in 

 one instance, where one product was thought to be fatal to hens, 

 but of this direct proof was lacking. The comparative cost for 

 the extended areas used in this test was, per 100 acres, for the 

 Liverpool virus i, for the Ratin virus 2 55., and for the Danysz 

 virus i i os. 



J. DANYSZ. Some Reflections regarding the Free use of Bacte- 

 riological Cultures for the Destruction of Rats and Mice. 



(Brit. Med. Jour., 1909, n. 2508. pp. 209-10). E. S. R., 

 Aug. 1909. 



The author here considers the possible source of danger to man 

 from the use in the destruction of rodents and other small mam- 

 mals of certain microbic cultures that belong to the Salmonella or 

 Bacillus enteritidis group. 



According to the most recent investigations two types are to 

 be distinguished among .these bacilli, first, those to which belong 

 the bacillus of Loefiier, that of hog cholera, and that of psitta- 

 cosis, all apparently identical with B. paratyphus B. } and second, 

 those to which belong the bacilli of the viruses of Danysz, Issats- 

 chenko, Neumann, and Dunbar, which seem to be identical with 

 the B. enteritidis of Gaertner. While the microbes of the Salmo- 

 nella group are extremely widespread in nature and are frequently 

 found in cases of poisoning through food, it is considered as far 

 from being proved that they are active agents in these occurrences. 

 Such cases are considered as probably due to ptomaines, etc. 



It is concluded that " microbic cultures which have been handled 

 for more than 10 years by more than a million individuals, and 

 which have been scattered broadcast on bread or grain in many 

 parts of the world and placed within reach of domestic or other 



