POISONING EATS. 



45 



taken in sufficient quantity. In the small doses fed to rats and mice 

 it would be harmless to domestic animals. Its action upon rats is 

 slow, and if exit is possible, they usually leave the premises in search 

 of water. For this reason the poison may frequently, though not 

 always, be used in houses without disagreeable consequences. 



Barium carbonate may be fed in the form of dough composed of 

 four parts of meal or flour and one part of the mineral. A more 

 convenient bait is ordinary oatmeal with about one-eighth of its 

 bulk of the mineral, mixed with water into a stiff dough. A third 

 plan is to spread the barium carbonate upon fish, toasted bread 

 (moistened) , or ordinary bread and butter. The prepared bait should 



Fig. 4.— A Burmese trap. 



be placed in rat runs, a small quantity — as a teaspoonful — at a place. 

 If a single application of the poison fails to kill or drive away all rats 

 from the premises, it should be repeated with a change of bait. 



Strychnine. — Strychnine is too rapid in action to make its use as a 

 poison for rats desirable in houses, but elsewhere it may be. employed 

 effectively. Strychnia sulphate is the form best adapted for use. 

 The dry crystals may be inserted in small pieces of raw meat, Vienna 

 sausage, or toasted cheese, and these placed in rat runs or burrows; 

 or oatmeal may be moistened with a strychnine sirup, and small 

 quantities laid in the same way. 



Strychnine sirup is prepared as follows: Dissolve a half ounce of 

 strychnia sulphate in a pint of boiling water; add a pint of thick 

 sugar sirup and stir thoroughly. A smaller quantity of the poison 

 may be prepared with a proportional quantity of water. In preparing 

 the bait it is necessary that all the oatmeal should be moistened with 



