New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE ANTN.MOSQUITO CAMPAIGN.


With All Introduction by Robert IL Lanoorh'
PHI. d. Emo PIP :o:. d. Appleton Co.
The stimulus to investigation given By DR.. Lam.
horns offer Of prizes for the best essays treating OF
methods for the determination Of the MOSQUITO has
produced a volume OF highly interesting Information
concerning the habits and life history OF the Ih>ece
In question, together with similar DISCUSSIONS Oh ."'
milder nuisance. the houSe-fy, and more or ics>
practical suggestions for remedial measures. As re
cards the hOusc-hy while 1t Is probably altogether
impractcablc to exterminate the insect. 1t is by no
clear that the fly deserves such radical treat
ment. while II is quite certain That serves behchcdi
purposes, and that its elimination would be followed
by consequences caamtOus to man. 1t may indeed
be said that II hySienc laws were respected; IL our
civilization higher than It is that is to say. it
would be possible to do away with the conditions
which produce and pcrpcuate the house ny. That
insect dependent for its breeding upon the per-
sisence Of certain ricnic conditions and princ
pally upon the maintenance OF stables The manure
heaps in yards are the great breeding grounds
OF the house fly. IT, therefore. there stables
In cities. there would be far fewer flies But, once
bred the ny becomes useful. for it acts scavenger.
and dsposcs of incredible quantities OF matter which,
left TO tester and dccOmpOSc would cngcndcr disease
OF this scavenGerinC would be unnecessary II
cleanliness were enforced in houses and yards and
streets As is the pcr>rt"nc" oi the honSe ny MAY
be regarded proof that mankind have not yet
passed altogether beyond the stage OF barbarism
To-day We neither get rid of the hOuse-hy nor
can afford TO lie without 1t. and were it, cNtcrnina
ton possible. 1t would certainly be followed BY
worse evils than those struck at by the measure.
The case Of the mosquito is different. 1t IS not
possible to contend that Cuex any end of
vice to man. The idea that it destroys the germs OF
mfssma seems to have been conceived by some one
who could not tolerate the notion of absolutely
useless creature. There is. however. no support for
the theory no evidence whatever that the mosquito is
other than an unmxed nuisance and evil. The strong
est presumption Is that the same conditions which gen
dino nf
quitoes and fair inference is that II the conditions
can be amended both miasma and mosquitoes Will co.
1T is curious fact. unnoticcd by any Of the Lamborh
essayists by the by that of the largest and ferrc>t
kinds of mosquito are found in the most spar>eN popu
lated regions The traveller who proceeds due north
will find these insects increasing In size numbers ana
fcrocity as Journeys p0lcward. and on the swamp
levels Of the Alaskan tOral he Will encounter hoi1cs
which for activity, magnitude and venom are 10 ue
NewJersey species what a hawk i u sparrow oh
tho portages of the Cascade Mountains, i'll British
Columbia the Indian, routed and put to ighf
BIZ Q Culex known there the " lion" mosquito. III
the Alaskan swamps the thick-furrcd bear Is
mobbed to death by these agile and merciess TOR
mentors Tho fact that these insects attain such
dimensions where there practically neither men nor
animals upon which feed proves that t'ey wac not
originally intended to be blood suckers The equally
indubtabc fact that they throw themselves furiou>y
and unhestatingly upon whatever warm blooded auna
comes their shows that at least they have no veg
etarian prejudiccs.
The Iamborn ESSAYS consider the f,-habtS OF the
mosquito with view TO asc"rtarin- whether 'hce
is any possibility Of getting rid Of him. and IT must
be said that after the ground has been pretty tior-
oughly gone the prospects OF rel Ell % not hoh
up very brightly. DR.. Lamborn's ID la was that m
asmuch as the dragOn-hy eats mosquitoes lie niehI
be employed to cxterminate them by iudcouN breed
Ing, etc. But it appears upon examination that there
are several hndrances to this scheme. and. what Is
more that they insurmountable In the first place
the habits of the dragon fy durial. while those
of the mosquito nocturnal. This Is formidable
obstacle for it that Just when the mosquito Is
most actively engaged in making nuisance OF NM
self the draSonhy is retiring for the day. in the
second place, the dragon ny cannot be bred IN tho
same habitat the mosquito save In rare instances
The former requires open spaces and sunshine for ms
nursery The latter will breed in the darkest ana
most confined bitches pools and enclosed forest aTns
In the third place the dragonfy has only one br"'d
in the wear, whereas the mosquito mnlt,pEes WIFI
rabbit like CELEBRITY. All these facts III, faalV a:aii>'
the practicabity of making the draSon-hy destroy
tho mosquito There 1t is true. other enemies oi
the Culex such all species OF spider some species "i
birds and most fishes. which consume the larvae In
the water. But all these agencies are n'w' ana
always been. at work. and a. it Is evident that
they have failed effect apprccialc reduction III
the ranks of the enemy it is not worth wmie 10 pay
much attention to them.
Artificial checks to the mosquito are IN some re-
spects more hopeful. though not 80 much so as To
warrant premature rejoicing. by spraying petroleum
over the surface Of bitches ponds pools ana
other breeding places Of the CulcX. can undoubtedly
be destroyed In its early stages: but 1t is evident tha
such a remedy produce any important effects would
have to be applied on a very large scale anu sEs
Dramatically. The mosquito may be fought, TOO Dy
careful attention to the prevention OF damphcs>' 10y
the drainage of swamps especially much good may be
dome but this again work Of cost and magnitude
Vet in this measure quite possibly lies the only pric
teal means of recovering TO human race and resi-
dencc those considerable tracts Of country lying along
the ocean shore, which have for generations been com
pletely dcsolatd by these insect pests The question
is OF especial Importance for NewJeiscy. where h'n
sands OF acres OF valuable land thrown out OF oc
cupatlOn BY this cause alone The drainage OF tho
swamp area all along the coast would no doubt be
difficult undertaking. but entirely practicable. and prob
ably the only remedy for the evil complained Of
Here too, would be favorable field for experimental
ton with petroleum. the application of which Is pro-
posed by covering tho surface Of the water with
thin film Of it, and by surrounding lamps with pans
of the OIL into which the insects attracted by the
light would fall in large numbers
The remedies proposed To he applied when INC
MOSQUITO Is In its larval state appear more promis-
ing than those which directed against the image,
and petroleum 10 be the best of all because
of its cheapncss and the various easy in which
It can be employed. Yet when the prolific nature
OF the pest and its wide distribution, considered.
together with the absolute necessity OF extended
and simultaneous action. tho probability that any
considerable will be attained in dealing with
the evil is not very great Before the conditions
which favor the breeding Of mosquitoes be readily
changed moreover. there must be general rccog-
milton Of and attention 10 those fundamental hyGcnc
principles the neglect OF which almost every
where is at present dscOnragng. But II plac
tic Al beneficial result not TO be expected in the
immediate future from such investigations a, DIR.
Lamborn has set foot the Importance and useful
ness rousing public attention and interest to the
sufficiently 1ustiflcS tho Science
may discover some hitherto unsupported remedy for
the evil or the difficulties in the way Of remedies
now suggested may be removed. Inquiry and dis
cussion arc tho beginnings of Improvement
and the Lambo-n essays mark a noteworthy step
in this direction The work is we'll Illustrated with
a,.de IN Tor. liaI IL 4ha