POISONING OF EATS. 
259 
The same writer again says, " Take a quartern of good 
flour, or the same quantity of good malt, and mix with it 
an ounce and a half or two ounces of finely -ground arsenic ; 
then add the following mixture of essential oils, namely, 
ten drops of the oil of caraway, two drops of the oil of 
anise seed, and one drop of the oil of lavender. But first rub 
these oils well up in a handful of fiour or malt, and then 
well stir them in with the whole, so that the oils and 
arsenic may be thoroughly mixed." 
Mr. Waterton informs us, that during his travels in South 
America, an army of rats laid siege to his establishment, 
and held entire possession of it for years. Kot ieeling 
satisfied with prowling at will through the domains, they 
also rendered the mansion a complete colander, and com- 
mitted any outrage they pleased, with impunity. How- 
ever, upon the return of the owner to his castle, the 
marauders were soon expelled or annihilated ; and now, 
he says, if you would give ten guineas for a rat, you could 
not find one about his house. The implements of destruc- 
tion were, oatmeal, sugar, and arsenic. To a washhand- 
basin full of the best oatmeal were added two pounds of 
moist sugar and a good dessert-spoonful of arsenic ; then, 
after well mixing them, a table-spoonful or two was laid 
in every hole : thus the enemy was eventually destroyed. 
Here I must take the opportunity of warning you of the 
dangerous results often attending the use of arsenic in the 
jjoisoning of rats. These animals, being poisoned, often 
crave for drink ; and if they should get to any milk, beer, or 
water, they will sometimes so gorge themselves, as to vomit 
into the fluid, and thereby produce most serious consequences, 
A farmer in the county of Limerick used to make butter on 
a large scale for the London market. His farm was much in- 
fested with rats ; and, what with the loss of butter out of the 
firkins, and skimming the milk laid out for cream, he found 
himself a most extensive loser ; so he resolved upon poisoning 
them with arsenic. And what was the result? why, that all his 
pigs and calves were poisoned also ! It turned out, that 
when the rats had partaken of the poison they became so 
thirsty that they went to the milk as usual, and there drank 
till they were sick ; then vomited into the dishes ; and the 
arsenic, being naturally heavy, sank to the bottom. The 
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