THE EAT. 
"bottom ; then, after corking it down, give it a smart shake 
up for about half a minute, and put it by, to get thoroughly- 
cold, so that the spirit may float at the top ; after that, un- 
cork the bottle, and pour off the spirit ; then the compound 
is ready for use. But always keep it closely corked, for the 
more air-tight it is, the better it keeps. 
Some recommend keeping the spirit for another time. 
This may be all very well for rat-catchers, or those who 
make up phosphoric pills for sale ; but for private indi- 
viduals, who make a little perhaps once a year, or not that, 
the best plan is to throw it away, and then no harm can 
come of it. 
Mix the compound with flour or meal into pills, as 
described a few pages back, and you will find them answer 
every purpose, either for rats or mice. The author of the 
"Book of the Farm" says, "the phosphoric pills are the best 
remedy he has met with. It is only necessary to drop a few 
of them into the holes, and a little trouble of this kind, 
taken in the heat of summer, when the holes are most 
easily to be seen, will soon diminish the number of the ver- 
min, if not entirely extirpate them." 
Though phosphoric pills are luminous in the dark, and 
look as if on fire, still they are perfectly harmless. To 
satisfy myself on this point, I have wrapped them up in 
highly dried cotton-wool for twenty-four hours, and they 
did not in the least discolour it. Then, again, I buried 
some in the best gunpowder for twenty-four hours ; and I 
believe they might lie for twenty-four years, and never 
aflect it. This you can try for your own curiosity and 
satisfaction. 
For the convenience of those who may not wish to make 
a large quantity of phosphoric compound, I will give differ- 
ent proportions of each ingredient, and then they can choose 
according to the number of vermin. I must tell you that 
the first scale will be sufficient for a house, unless the rats 
are very numerous. But in every case mix up the pills as 
our Hammersmith friend has described. 
First scale. — Two ounces of lard or dripping, half a drachm 
of phosphorus, half a gill of spirits of wine or whisky. 
Second scale. — Quarter of a pound of lard or dripping, one 
drachm of phosphorus, one gill of spirits of wine or whisky. 
