DIETETICS OP RATS. 
have been the cause of it. While thus pondering, they 
suddenly saw something moving backwards and forwards 
beneath the clothes, at the bottom of the bed. The first 
impulse of the father was, of course, to grasp at it outside 
the clothes, and squeeze it with all his might ; this he did, 
and held it till it was dead. Then, upon throwing off the 
bedclothes, they beheld, to their loathing and disgust, an 
enormous sewer rat. When the medical gentleman arrived, 
and saw the injured foot, and also ascertained the cause, he 
resorted to such means as would purify the wound from all 
poisonous effects, by well cleansing, &c., which happily ter- 
I minated in nothing more serious than her being crippled in 
that foot for some time, and wearing the scar as a remem- 
: brance. But its mother informed me, that there was no 
doubt, from the desperate wound inflicted, that had they not 
instantly run to the child's rescue, the rat would soon have 
had her toe off, if nothing worse. This occurrence took 
place some time since. But now we come to others which 
have transpired within more recent periods, and of a more 
dreadful description. 
The wife of a labourer, residing near Landor, went out of 
her cottage, leaving her infant boy, about three years old, 
asleep on the bed. On her return she heard the child crying 
vehemently, and upon rushing into the room she saw a large 
rat busily engaged in biting the little fellow's face ; but on 
her appearance the animal ran up the chimney. It was 
found that portions of the child's flesh had been eaten away, 
I both from the face and one of its thumbs. 
I \ The death of an infant six months old took place in 
I Marsh Street, Bristol, from the bite of a rat. Marsh 
[ Street is an exceedingly old and filthy street, and lies not 
; only adjacent to the floating harbour, but in the vicinity of 
numerous warehouses for the storage of potatoes, grain, 
, j tallow, oil, and the like ; and, as may be expected, many of 
r the houses are infested by rats. The mother, on hearing 
t her infant scream, hastened to ascertain the cause, Avhen 
r she found that her poor child had been attacked in a most 
t ferocious manner. The rat had severely bitten it under the 
s right eye, and marks of the creature's claws were still visible 
5 on its face and neck. There was also a great quantity of 
i blood about the person and clothes of the victim. The 
