186 



Series 3. Three of the surviving rats (1 from series 1 and 2 from 

 series 2) fed each with one-third agar tube of original Danysz virus 

 as used in series 1. None died. 



TRANSATLANTIC RATIN. 



A can of this substance labeled "Transatlantic ratin " was furnished 

 by the American agents representing the Bacteriological Laboratory, 

 Copenhagen, Denmark. The can bore the date January 26, 1909, 

 and was stated to be " effective for six months from date of pro- 

 duction." 



On April 13, 1909, this sample was given to Passed Asst. Surg. 

 W. H. Frost for examination, and he obtained the following results : 



April 13, 1909: Can of ratin opened with aseptic precautions. Con- 

 tents mixed with about equal bulk of clean fresh lard. 



A portion of this about equal to one tablespoonful fed to each of 

 six white rats previously deprived of food for twenty-four hours. 

 All the rats ate some of the bait at once. Feeding at 2 p. m. 



April 14: Five rats very sick, having convulsions; partially para- 

 lyzed. One dead. 



April 15: Three more rats found dead. Remaining 2 recovering. 



The pathological change in all the above cases consisted chiefly of 

 intense congestion of intestines, both large and small. 



Cultures from the original case of ratin, on agar, bouillon, and in 

 fermentation tubes, negative except staphylococcus in one tube. 



Cultures taken from heart's blood and other organs of the 4 dead 

 rats all negative, except in one case a growth of a staphylococcus 

 resembling 8. pyogenes citreus. 



April 20: Two rats fed on half agar slant culture of the staphy- 

 lococcus obtained from heart's blood of rat No. 1. Result of feeding 

 negative after several weeks. 



NOTE. The absence of a colon-like organism in this virus and the rapid death of the 

 animals with convulsions suggested a chemical poison, which it is believed this can 

 contained. M. J. R. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH MICRO-ORGANISMS FOR DESTROYING RATS, CON- 

 DUCTED BY THE UNITED STATES BIOLOGICAL SURVEY." 



RATIN. 



The Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, in cooperation 

 with the Bureau of Animal Industry, has experimented with " ratin." 

 The material (ratin No. 2 labeled " Transatlantic ratin") was fur- 

 nished by the American agents in New York. Although the agent 

 claimed that this was a bacterial preparation and that "it would kill 



a This report was furnished by Dr. A. Hart Merriam, Director of the Biological 

 Survey. 



