New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-08
Getting Rid Of Mosquitoes.

A correspondent of the New York Herald
writes:
Ten years ago was trading with the
Portuguese and negroes of DelagOa Bay, on
the southeast coast OF Africa, the most NO.
torious place for fever and ague, as well as
for mosquitoes on the African continent.
Throughout the day, but especially from
sunset to sunrise, the mosquitoes dance
there through the sultry, humid atmos-
phere literally in dense clouds, rendering
sleep or even moments rest utterly impOs-
slble for unacclimated man and beast. SO
that our trading party would have been
compelled to leave the hOrrid country had
not an old friendly Portuguese taught 10
how to protect ourselves against the blood.
thirsty insects by giving US the following
simple receipt: Make decoction of quassia
by boiling handful of quassia wood talso
known as quassa chips) IN quart Of water
for about half an hour.
Allow it to cool, and then battle your face
and hands with it, or any other part of tho
body which you may desire to protect
against the attacks Of the mosquitoes. It
is of terribly bitter taste, but harmless to
tho most delicate skin, if washed off Oc.
caslonally with fresh water, and no mos.
quitoes will alight on the parts to which
the decoction has been freely applied. We
tried the remedy, and found it to act like q
charm, and defy all the combined forces
OF all the mosquitoes of Long Island,
Westchester county, and New Jersey, or
any other mOsq ultOes, to attack me if will
go to the slight trouble of using the above
decoctiOn. The "stuf'' is obtainable in
every drug store. and quite Inexpensive.
Another gives this experience: 1 don's
know how it is, but my landlady has taken
my mosquito net, and tho result is II am
not happy" Last night, in order to sleep,
placed a raw beefsteak on plate at the
head OF my bed, stepped in good old rye
whisky. This was the advice OF Mr.. Bergh,
who, mayhap, knows the effects of whisky
himself After the light was put out .
swarm of those backbiting bill posters
made an advance movement. One of them
caressed me sweetly on the nose; he sent in
his bill-there was slap. diluted damn
and dead mosquito. Don't tell Bergh
that. Soon l heard q tremendous buzzing
about the whisky soaked beef. The entire
mosquito family came singing in-and such
an opera but they did not bite me.
by the worst mosquito concert ever mortal.
devil, angel, divine. Dutchman or any other
man ever listened to.
raised light, and then the trouble b.
gan. Every mosquito was as drunk as 2
blind fiddler. Some we're playing circus on
the plate. One big fellow was dancing
Juba on the Bible, while fat friend of his
lay Oh ICE Ddeh Oeatlng the "DeVuS
Dream" on an invisible tambourlne with
one hind leg; another was tying the legs Of
my pants in a bow knot. TO hang around the
neck of my Anna Dickinson, whose pictura
was hanging against the washstand, while
another red stomached customer was trying
to stand on his head in the washbowl. Still
another was limping across the window SILL
in search of fresh air, to the agonizing tune
Of "trainp,. tramp, tramp" One mutual
friend" took bath in the ink bottle. and
his account of himself was most graphic,
while another died as he was sitting on the
chant '.Mother. have come home to die -
About .OGo mosquitoes lay dead on the
door, but sadness seemed not to break in
upon the hilarious rioting upon blood and
whisky!