The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-12-07
WORTH KNOWING.
How the House Fly, tho Wicked Flea
and tho Mosquito May All be Pat tO
EIiUEat. s.. 5ss
From Harper'a Bazar.1

and tho Mosquito May All bo Pat tO
Flight.
IFrom Harper's Bazsr.l
The pyrethrum roseum, or Persian
camomile," is the powdered leaf OF
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 finely prepared
dust made from these flowers, which
can be purchased of almost any lelia-
bic druggist at about 70 cents a pound,
mosquito may be put to fight or to
rest. In order to enjoy this delicious
radiance, it is only necessary to heap mp
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 weak
wall of insect woe. Pretty soon down
they come plump on to the table antl
over your paper spin on their tiny backs
and then sheathe their lancets, curl MP
their hair-liko legs, and interest one no
more. Up stairs the little ones sleep
unmolested, though 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 gloWs
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 mako an
entry, though the windows are raised
and the lattices only half closed.
Gauze bars are hot, stuffy things at
best, and one must be sadly driven To
OIL fD 81 n,
then, rs 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. .a
Smoke from the Persian camomile or
it's 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, tea-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 dlution, it fails TIC
kill, it nevertheless produces on insect
life, through its volatllized essential oil
| or resin, undoubted nausea, vertigo ;;.lh
piratory spasms, and paralysis. II :...
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
1 can ascertain, entirely innoxious, and
not disagreeable. That we---a family OF
eight persons, infants and adults--hnye
lived for several weeks In an atmosphere
of pyrethrum dust and smoke com
bined, during this present summer, il
sufficient proof of my statement. To the
skeptic recommend an interesting ok
pertinent: Puff the pyrethrum into
close, warm room, where flies most Low,
to swarm, just after dark, shut ths door
and make another visit In thirty minutes
The sight of seeing millions Of dead ant
squirming vermin ON the floor will d,
his heart good--that is, If he is humal
and not an angel,
Having drafted our plan of battl
against these little foes, it becomes pro
per to speak of the care Of the wounded
To cure mosquito stings, 1 know roth
ing bette rthan 20-per-cent. solution il
either oil or water of pure carbolic acid
This is to be rubbed we'll on the paint,
spot. To battle ones tingling hands an
smarting limbs with this solution give
o cooling, grateful sensation that lis har
to describe. Carbolic soap win do q
most as well, ." ~. ointment COMPOUND
ed OF carbol. ,:lnri 8; and cosmoline.
i . .