237 



4. Rats shall be purchased at the city office, police stations, branch police stations, 

 police boxes, or by city officials, who go around for such purpose, by giving a ticket 

 to be cashed upon presentation, provided that distinction must be made between a 

 rat caught and one found dead. 



In transmitting a copy of this ordinance Consul G. H. Scidmore 

 stated that it was issued in accordance with the infectious diseases 

 law of Japan, No. 36, of March, 1897, which provides that cities, 

 towns, and villages shall make all necessary arrangements relating 

 to the extermination of rats as may be ordered by the prefectural 

 governors. 



He also stated that when the above ordinance was decreed the 

 mayor of Nagasaki issued detailed instructions regarding its enforce- 

 ment. The ordinance was enforced from the time of its enactment 

 until July 7, 1908, when the city ceased paying bounties; from January 

 13, 1908, to July 7, 1908, 980.33 yen ($488.20) having been expended, 

 and 30,767 rats having been destroyed. 



RAT EXTERMINATION IN LOURENO MARQUEZ, EAST AFRICA, AND 



MADAGASCAR. 



In Lourenco Marquez, Consul W. S. Hollis states that a disinfecting 

 barge is maintained, and requisitioned from time to time by vessels, 

 by which means considerable numbers of rats are destroyed. 



He also states that the last efforts to destroy rats on shore were 

 made during the plague outbreak in November and December, 1907. 



In a circular accompanying Provincial Decree No. 754 of the gov- 

 ernor-general, the following relates to the destruction of rats: 



1. For the destruction of rats we advise the public to make use of poison paste. 



2. These may be obtained by requisition on the municipal chamber and from police 

 stations. 



3. The paste furnished shall be divided into portions and distributed in different 

 parts of the dwellings. 



In Provincial Decree No. 737, issued December 11, 1907, by the 

 governor-general, it is required that grain and forage warehouses and 

 stables be provided with cement floors, and that ventilators be pro- 

 vided with wire screens sufficiently fine to prevent the access of rats, 

 and that interior doors and salient angles be provided with metallic 

 points to prevent the climbing and entrance of rats. 



In Provincial Decree No. 48, issued by the governor-general Janu- 

 ary 30, 1908, it is proposed among other things to establish a per- 

 manent service for the capture and bacteriological examination of 

 rodents in the city and its suburbs. 



In transmitting the publication containing copies of these decrees 

 the consul stated that by the end of February, 1908, the campaign 

 against r.ats was relaxed, and since then nothing had been done to 

 continue the work of extermination. 



a Cases of pest in Lourenco Marquez, official report. 



