The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEd
CORNELIUS A. DONOVAN, OF ABILENE, TEXAS.
VERMIN-EXTERMINATOR AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME. -
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,599, dated January 4,1887.
Application filed February 18, 1886. Serial No. 192,423. (No specimens.)
To all zhonm, ft ntay con.cermn:
Be it known that I, CORNELIUS A. DoNovAN,
of Abilene, in the county of Taylor and State
of Texas, have invented a new and useful Im-
5 provementin Animal-Exterminators, of which
the following is a specification.
My improved animal-exterminator consists
of wheat or other grain saturated with a solu-
tion of strychnia in water, the grain afterward
2o being coated with a solution formed of simple
sirup and arsenic, a small quantity of oil of
rhodium being applied to the grain thus pre-
pared.
In carrying out my invention I take one
x5 gallon of grain-preferably of wheat-thor-
oughly clean it, and soak it in a solution formed
of two drams of strychnia in twenty drams of
water, and agitate it from time to time until
the wheat is dry. I then take a solution
20 formed by mixing two drams of arsenic with
twenty drams of simple sirup, and apply it
to the wheat and thoroughly agitate the
wheat to cause it to be entirely covered with
the sirup. I then allow the wheat to dry
25 again, and put it up in convenient packages
for use.
My improved animal-exterminator is de-
signed more especially for the extermination
of prairie dogs, and immediately before plac-
ing the exterminator in a position accessible 30
to prairie dogs I add to the bulk of the wheat
treated in the manner above described about
fifteen drops of the oil of rhodium to render
the wheat attractive to the animals.
Having thus described my invention, what 1 35
claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters
Patent, is-
1. An animal-exterminator consisting of
grain containing strychnia and having a coat-
ing of arsenic and sirup, as herein described. 40
2. The method herein described of prepar-
ing grain for exterminating animals, consist-
ing in soaking the grain in a saturated solu-
tion of strychnia, drying the same, then mix-
ing a solution of arsenic and sirup with it 45
while being agitated, and finally drying, the
grain, as set forth.
CORNELIUS A. DONOVAN.
Witnesses:
J. J. MooDY,
S. A. HOWARD.