RAT. 



the effefts of tlie trailing, &c. and will not fail to come duly 

 again, if they arc not dilbirbed or molcltcd. But many 

 of the rat-catchers make (horter work, and content them- 

 felves with whit can be brought together in one night or 

 two ; but this is never effectual, unlcfs where the building 

 is fmall and entire, and the rats but few in number. 



With refpcdi to the means of taking them when they are 

 brought together, they are various. Some entice them into 

 a very large bag, the mouth of which is fufficiently capacious 

 to cover nearly the whole floor of the place where they are 

 coUeiSed ; which is done by fmearing fome veU'el, placed 

 in the middle of the bag, with oil of rhodium, and laying 

 in tlie bag baits of proper food. This bag, which before 

 laid flat on the ground, with the mouth fpread open, is to 

 be fuddenly clofed when the rats arc all in it. Others drive 

 or frighten them, by flight noife? or motions, into a bag of 

 a long form, the mouth of which, after all the rats are 

 come in, is drawn up to the opening of the place by whrch 

 they entered, all other ways of retreat being fecured. 

 Others, again, intoxicate or poifon them, by mixing with 

 the repaft prepared for them the cocculus indicus, or the nux 

 vomica. A receipt for this purpofe has appeared, which 

 direfts four ounces of cocculus indicus, with twelve ounces 

 of oatmeal, and two ounces of treacle or honey, to be made 

 up into a moift pafte with ftrong beer ; but if the nux 

 vomica be ufed, a much Icfs proportion will ferve than is 

 here given of the cocculus. Any fimilar compofition of thefe 

 drugs, with that kind of food the rats are moil, fond of, 

 and which has a itrong flavour, to hide that of the drugs, 

 will equally well anfwer the end. If, indeed, the cocculus 

 indicus be well powdered, and infufed in itrong beer for 

 fome time, at leall, half the quantity here direfted will 

 ferve as well as the quantity before mentioned. When the 

 rats appear to be thoroughly intoxicated with the cocculus, 

 or fick with the nux vomica, they may be taken with the 

 hand, and put into a bag or cage, the door of the place 

 being firft drawn to, left thofe which have ftreugth and fenfe 

 remaining ihould efcape. By thefe methods, when well 

 condufted, a very confiderable part of the rats in a farm, or 

 other houfe, and the contiguous buildings, may be taken 

 and defl;royed. But various other methods have been 

 praftifed. 



In the Tranfaftions of the Bath Agricultural Society, the 

 following compofitions are advifed for deftroying thefe mif- 

 chievous creatures, and which are ftated to have been at- 

 tended with great fuccefs. Firll, to a quart of oatmeal, 

 add fix drops of oil of rhodium, one grain of mufk, and 

 two or three of the nuts of nux vomica finely powdered ; 

 make them into pellets, and put them into the rat -holes. 

 This, it is faid, was at iiril greedily eaten, and did great 

 execution ; but the wife animals, after a time, ceafed to eat 

 it. Secondly ; this confifted of three parts of oatmeal and one 

 of ftave's-acre, mixed well into a paile with honey. Pieces 

 of this palte were laid in their holes, and again did great 

 execution. Thirdly; this is a method of deftroying them by 

 laying a large box down on its front fide, with the lid fup- 

 portcd open by a (Iring over a pulley ; and by trailing toailed 

 cheefe and a red-herring from their holes to this box, 

 and placing oatmeal and other food in it, which they are for 

 a few nights to be permitted to eat unmoleiled ; and iinally 

 to watch them by moon-light, the infide of the box being 

 painted white ; and, when many of them are feen, to let down 

 the lid ; by which contrivance fixty of them are ilated to 

 have been taken at one time. 



But though the ufual ways of deftroying rats are by traps 

 and poifon, Mr. Forfyth advifes never to ufe arfenic, or 

 corrofivc fublimate, for that purpofe, except under parti- 



cular circumflanccs, as they are deadly poifons : nux vomica 

 will, he thinks, generally anfwer the end as well, without 

 the danger. He fuggells it as a very good plan, to prevent 

 accidents, to enclofe the traps in cafes, having holeb ii; the 

 ends of them large enough to admit rats, but fmall enough 

 to exclude dogs, cats, &c. And that, as a bait for rat- 

 traps, the following compofition may be made ufe of with 

 advantage. Take a pound of good flour, three ounces of 

 treacle, and fix drops of the oil of carraways : put them all 

 in a difh ; and rub them well together till they are properly 

 mixed : then add a pound of crumb of bread. The trapt 

 baited with this mixture fhould be fet as near their haunts as 

 poiTible ; but, for two or three days, fo as not to fall or 

 ilrikc on the rats going in, but letting them have free liberty 

 to go in and out at pleafure, as this makes them fearlefs. 

 Some of the bait fliould alfo, he thinks, be laid at the rat- 

 holes, and a little of it fcattered quite up to the traps, and 

 fo on to the bridge of each trap, where a handful may be 

 placed. It may alfo, he thinks, be proper to fcent the 

 traps with the following mixture, for the purpofe of entic- 

 ing the rats into them. Take twenty drops of the oil of 

 rhodium, fix or feven grains of mun<, and half an ounce of 

 oil of anifeed ; put them in a fmall phial, and fhake it well be- 

 fore ufing ; then dip a piece of twifted paper or rag in the 

 mixture, and rub each end of the trap with it, if a box 

 trap, and put two or three drops on the bridge, leaving the 

 paper or rag in the trap. Of whatever kind the trap is, it 

 Ihould be fcented ; but once in a twelvemonth will be fuffi- 

 cient. Then throw fome chaff mixed with a little wheat 

 about the bottom of the trap, in order to deceive the rats ; 

 for they are very fagacious, and will not enter a fufpicious 

 place. This will be neceifary to be done only at the firft 

 time of fetting the traps ; for, after fome rats have been 

 caught and have watered and dunged in them, rats will enter 

 boldly when they find others have been there before them : 

 do not, therefore, waih or clean out the trap, as fome people 

 do before they fet it again, but let the dung and urine remain 

 in it. Keep the places where the traps are fet as private as 

 poflTible ; and when they are fet for catching, mix no bread 

 with the bait, as the rats will, in that cafe be apt, to carry it 

 away. 



An-d it is ufeful, this writer remarks, when the holes are 

 found quiet, and that no rats ufe them, to ilop them up 

 with the following compofition. Take a pint of common 

 tar, half an ounce of pearl-afhes, an ounce of oil of vitriol, 

 and a good handful of common fait, mix them all well toge- 

 ther in an old pan or pot. Take fome pieces of paper, and 

 lay fome of the above mixture very thick on them ; then 

 ilop the holes well up with them, and build up the mouth 

 of the holes with brick or ilone, and mortar ; if this be 

 properly done, rats will, he aiTerts, no more approach thefe 

 while either fmell or tafte remains in the compofition. 



But with a view to deftroy rats in places where traps can- 

 not be fet, it is recommended to take a quart of the above 

 bait, then to rafp into it three nuts of nux vomica, and 

 add a quarter of a pound of crumb of bread, if there was 

 none before ; mix them all well together, and lay it into the 

 mouth of their holes, and in different places where they fre- 

 quent ; but firft give them of the bait without nux vomica, 

 for three or four fucceeding nights ; and when they find 

 it agrees with them, they will eat that mixed with the nut 

 with greedinefs. 



However, as it is frequently found that rats are very 

 troublefome in fewers and drains, in fucli cafes arfenic may 

 be ufed with fuccefs in the following manner. Take fome 

 dead rats, and having put fome white arfenic, finely 

 powdered, into an old pepper-box, fhake a quantity of it 



3 L 2 Oil 



