64 



formula to clean out the rats, probably because the percentage 

 of arsenic is much too small. Possibly the dose — a table- 

 spoonful — might kill a rat now and then were he to eat it all, 

 but there is no certainty that it will be eaten by one rat. 

 Probably it is a safe practice in rat poisoning to mix so large a 

 percentage of poison with the food that if a rat eats only a 

 little he will die and as a means of safeguarding the rat against 

 eating too much and then vomiting it, a small amount may be 

 placed in each rat hole. When about 10 per cent of finely 

 powdered arsenic was used in the mixture the rats disappeared, 

 and some dead rats were found, but in most cases only a part 

 of the tablespoonful was eaten. Less than half a teaspoonful 

 would probably be an ample dose of the 10 per cent mixture. 



When rats live in holes in the ground in winter they may be 

 poisoned by this mixture in very cold weather by moistening 

 dry earth or clay with water, thus making a quantity of mud 

 or wet clay, placing a teaspoonful of the mixture in each rat 

 hole and closing every hole with mud. This will soon freeze 

 hard, and the imprisoned rats must sooner or later eat the 

 poisoned food or starve. 



The following rat catchers' recipes are abridged from Rod- 

 well : — 



Arsenic and flour or malt: a quart of good flour or malt; mix 

 with it an ounce and a half or two ounces of finely ground 

 arsenic; add ten drops of oil of caraway, two drops of oil of 

 anise, and one drop of oil of lavender. These should first be 

 rubbed well up in a handful of flour or malt, then stirred in 

 well with the whole (here we have about 3 per cent of arsenic, 

 which I should increase to at least 8 per cent). Malt may be 

 procured of wholesale druggists or brewers. 



Arsenical paste: take one ounce of finely powdered arsenic, 

 one ounce of fresh butter, and make them into a paste with 

 oatmeal and honey; rats eat of it greedily, then seek drink. 

 (At least three ounces of oatmeal should be added, with honey 

 enough to moisten.) This ought to give about 15 per cent of 

 arsenic. As this is a most deadly thing, one should be very 

 cautious in its use, and always wash the hands afterward. 



Arsenic pills: take two ounces of fine flour, two ounces of 

 lump sugar, beat to a powder; ten drops of honey, one ounce of 



