POISONING OP EATS. 
255 
live rat, and start him. Others, again, have fastened a 
little bell round a big fellow's neck, while others have re- 
sorted to the barbarous practice of pouring hot pitch on a 
poor rat, and starting him in the holes. Either of these 
plans will have the effect of frightening away the others, for 
the time being ; but they soon become used to it, and will 
return, if their old quarters are the best. 
" When rats take up their abode behind the v/ainscoting, 
or in the ceilings of houses, some rat-catchers dislodge them, 
by first finding or making a hole near the place they fre- 
quent ; then, thrusting in a handful of salt, and pouring on it 
two or three spoonfuls of the oil of vitriol, they fasten up the 
hole. These articles together make such a disagreeable 
fumigation or smoke, that, to prevent been suffocated, the 
rats are glad to beat a retreat. Then, again, to drive them 
from other parts, take a pint of common tar, half an ounce 
of pearlashes, one ounce of the oil of vitriol, and a good 
handful of common salt ; mix them all together in an old 
deep pan ; then, after spreading the mixture thickly on 
pieces of brown paper, thrust them into the rat-holes, and 
let the bricklayer make them secure with broken glass and 
mortar. The mixture will not only have the effect of driv- 
ing the vermin away, but keeping them away till the mortar 
is firmly SQt. Others, again, I have known to take either 
smallage seed, nigella, origanum, lupins, or green tamarinds ; 
and by burning them in a room, they say, the fumes have had 
the effect of driving away both rats and mice. But though 
all these plans may afford present relief, still they do nothing 
towards remedying the evil. Then, as to the old methods of 
destroying them : — Some would take a very porous cork, and 
cut it into thin slices, or cut pieces of sponge to the size of 
large peas, and fry them in beef or mutton suet. These, 
they said, would destroy both rats and mice. Others as- 
serted that unslacked lime, or plaster of Paris, mixed with 
flour or meal, would effect the same purpose ; while some 
again maintained that steel-filings, made into a stiff paste 
with meal and honey, would most certainly kill them. 
Now, whether any or all of these ingredients will have the 
desired effect, I cannot say, because I never tried them. But 
I recollect about nine different poisonous compounds, to one 
or other of which, I believe, the whole profession resorted." 
