714 



Reseaech 'Rati Laboratory. 



[Xov., 



Why Research is Necessary. — From the above remarks on 

 the virus method, it is clear that there is a wide held for further 

 v.'ork. which can only be done in properly-equipped bacteriological 

 laboratories by a scientific staff. In the case of poisons, it 

 might be thought that the need for research is not obvious, 

 but poisoning is a certain and much-used method and the need 

 is real. It is necessary to know, for instance, what is the least 

 quantity of poison which wiU kill a rat of average size ; what 

 quantity to put in the bait : and how much bait to use . All these 

 points require experimental tests, and the necessary experiments 

 can only be earned out under a licence from the Home Secretary. 

 -Vnother very important question is the extent to which poisons 

 are dangerous to other animals, and this is one of the chief 

 directions in which research is being carried out, i.e., to 

 endeavour to find posions which, while fatal to rats, will be 

 relatively harmless to domestic animals and human beings. 

 The stabihty or keeping qualities of poisonous preparations 

 involves much purely chemical research. Even trapping is not 

 so simple as it seems, for experiments in India and elsewhere 

 Fhow that the dimensions of the trap are of great importance. 



For these reasons the Ministry of Agriculture, acting on the 

 advice of the Eat Destruction Branch, decided to equip a 

 research laboratory for work on this subject, and further, since 

 the Government were occupiers under the Rats and Mice 

 I Destruction) Act. 1919. it was decided to run a small factory 

 in conjunction with the laboratory for the purpose of supplying 

 suitable raticides for use on Government premises. Apart from 

 this there is an intimate relationship between the work of the 

 Laboratory and the Factory : results obtained in the Laboratory 

 can be checked by practical tests on a fairly large scale. 



The Ministry's Laboratory. — The Research Rat'i Laboratory 

 and Factory are situated cn the top floor of one of the old 

 blocks at Mount Pleasant Post Office. E.C.. in what was once 

 part of the Cold Bath Prison. The staff consists of the Research 

 Chemist 'who is responsible for the chemical and biological 

 work and also for the management of the factory), one laboratoiy 

 assistant, and two men and a boy for the factory work. The 

 Laboratory is equipped, so far as funds permit, with the usual 

 apparatus of a chemical laboratory. In the factory there are 

 mixing machines, a dough brake and biscuit cutter for making 

 rat poison biscuits, a large gas-fired oven for baking, a percolator 

 for preparing Squill extract, a still for distilling water, mincing 

 machines, and other miscellaneous appliances. 



