The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-10-07
WORTH KNOWING.
HOW the House Fly, the Wicked Flea
and the Mosquito May All be Put to
Flight. 2-s
[From Harper's Bazar.l

and the Mosquito Way All be Put to
Flight. @G
[From Harper's Bazar.]
The pyrethrum roseum, or Persian
camomile," is the powdered leaf of 8
harmless flower growing in Caucasian
Asia in great profusion, where for cent
uries it has been used to rid the ma
tives of insects. With fnely-prepared
dust made from these flowers. which
can be purchased of almost any relia-
BILE druggist at about 70 cents a pound,
the house fly, the wicked flea and the
mosquito may be put to fight or to
rest. In order to enjoy this delicious
radiance, it is only necessary to heap up
with little cone one teaspoonful of the
drug pyrethrum, touch it with lighted
match and watch the thin blue line OF
smoke as. it rises to the ceiling and is
waited through the air, changing the
busy drone Of insect life into a weak
wall Of insect woe. Pretty soon down
they come plump on to the table and
over your paper spin on their tiny backs
and then sheathe their lancets, curl up
their hair-ike legs, and interest one no
more. Up stairs the little ones sleep
unmolested, thong there are thousands
of mosquitoes in the room the pests
are sick unto death, and cling sadly to
the walls, too feeble to think of tap
ping the rich, warm blood that CLOVIS
in ruddy little limbs just below; the
fume Of the pyrethrum has settled their
business, and while it fingers in the
room outsiders are unwilling to make an
entry, though the windows are raised
and the lattices only half closed,
Gauze bars are hot, stuhy things at
best, and one must be sadly driven to
attempt to sleep under such cover ;.
then, as we all know, the mosquito al
ways finds his way through, no matter
how carefully one may tuck up it's folds
about the couch.
Smoke from the Persian camomile or
its dusty powder we have found most
efficacions, and your readers will bless
me when once they try it. The purity
of the drug must be assured. This can
readily be tested. It must have bright
buff color; be light, readily burned, and
give pleasant, ea-like fragrance one
pinch should kill dozen flies, confined
in bottle, at once. When it fails of
these properties it has been adulterated.
In common use, in large or breezy rooms,
where, from great dilution, it fails to
kill, it nevertheless produces on insect
life, through.its volatilized essential oil
or resin, undoubted nausea, vertigo, res
piratory spasms, and paralysis. It acts
upon them through the minute spiracles,
the breathing tubes, that stud the sur
face of their little bodies, and from the
delicate network of veins in their tiny
wings. To human beings it is, so far as
I can ascertain, entirely innoxious, and
not disagreeable. That we-a family Of
eight persons, infants and adults have
lived for several weeks in an atmosphere
of pyrethrum dust and smoke COM
blned, during this present summer, is
sufficient proof Of my statement To the
skeptic 1 recommend an interesting ex-
pertinent Puff the pyrethrum into a
close, warm room, where flies most love
to swarm, just after dark, shut the door.
and make another visit in thirty minutes.
The sight OF seeing millions Of dead and
squirming vermin on the floor will do
his heart good-that is, If he is human
and not an angel.
7 Having drafted our plan of battle
against these little foes, it becomes pro-
per to speak Of the care OF the wounded.
TO cure mosquito stings, I know moth
ing bette rthan 20-per-cent. solution in
either oil or water OF pure carbolic acid.
This is to be rubbed well on the painful
spot. To bathe ones tingling hands and
smarting limbs with this solution gives
q cooling, grateful sensation that is hard
to describe. Carbolic soap will do al
most as we'll, or an ointment compound
cd OF carbol, camphor and cosmoline.