fumigation

Pest exterminators, Sydney, 1937

from State Library of New South Wales

• 5 older comments, and then…
• Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies said:

  Calcid contained hydrocyanic acid HCN. See - Instructions or Dealing with Rabbits (1937), which informs us that cyanide fumigation is extremely humane. - ocr.lib.ncsu.edu/ocr/mc/mc00456-001-bx0004-010-001/mc0045... The cyanide was released from the briquettes through a dust when they were placed in a grinder and pump, which appears to be the apparatus the chap on the left is holding. One will be relieved to know, from the above booklet, that the carcasses of rabbits killed with HCN are not poisonous and may be safely eaten by human beings and dogs; rats are not specifically mentioned.

• State Library of New South Wales said:

  Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies 😮 have to say given this - those safety masks seem a little light-on by today's standards.

• Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies said:

  State Library of New South Wales The nose clamps may help somewhat, if that's what they are. Then of course we have the white overalls with the neckties to avoid skin contact - a nice touch.

• Merryjack said:

  Unfortunately many native water rats, Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) were often caught up in these extermination exercises but we are unable to identify any in this display. Rakali appear in some of the 1900 Sydney plague photos by John Degotardi, the larger webbed feet and the furred tail with a white tip is the giveaway, see the larger animal in right foreground above the ruler here - dictionaryofsydney.org/media/2182 Identification - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakali

• Flickr said:

  Congrats on Explore! ⭐ October 26, 2022