Annual medical report / Tanganyika Territory.

  • Tanganyika. Medical Department.
Date:
[1924]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical report / Tanganyika Territory. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    159/246 (page 149)
    Plague. Reorganisation of the anti-rat work was undertaken by Mr, Humphrey in the second half of the year, with very satisfactory results. Total Rats caught. Average number of Catchers employed. Average Rats per Catcher. 1922 .. . . 4.355 1.742 1923 .. .. 10,851 3 3,283 1924. ' January to June, July to December, 5.663] 3,981 i 14,644 3 00 00 H The following table is given from Mr. Humphrey’s report for July-December :— Rats Caught. Rattus Rattus Rattus Norvegicus .. 8,956 25 Total .. 0° vb 00 H Catchers employed Average number of traps used daily Total number of traps laid Percentage of rats caught per trap laid Cost (without overhead charges) Labour Bait . Depreciation of traps .. 3 160 23,592 .. 38-20 • • • • • • • • Shs. 522.00 „ 70.00 ,, 20.00 Total Shs. 612.00 Cost per rat caught.cents. 6-82. The Rattus Norvegicus were caught in the following places :— Old Market .. .. .. 11 (probably from untrapped sewer). Dhows ........ 6 Sewa Hadji Hospital .. .. 8 (probably from old fashioned trough latrines). 25 Mr. Humphrey found that the “ Nipper ” break-back trap with moveable bait platform gives the best results. Poor results on the whole have been obtained with other traps tried, which include :— 3 varieties of cage trap. 1 variety of break-back trap (fixed bait platform). 1 drowning trap (automatic re-setting). Clayton gas was tried in a large sewer without success. It is thought that insuffi¬ cient concentration of gas was obtained owing to the very large area of the sewer, its numerous branches, and its damp, soft, masonry walls. Bird-lime as used for fly-catching was tried without success. 11