The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-02-07
THE BUSY MOSQUITO.
A Whole Book Has at Last Been
Dedicated to tho Pest
Dssides Being an A~geravstIon to the Best
Natured Person the Insect Carries
Disease Germs from One of Its
Victims to the Other.

nlesSrS. hpplctOu dTc printing o OoOh
on the mosquito, says the Boston Globe.
A great many people, already aware
from personal experience that mosqui-
toes are undesirable associates, will be
surprised to find out what a really seri-
Gus enemy of tho human race the in
sect Is and always has been-the insect
Is found as a fossil among the geologi-
cal remains of former ages, apparent
ly never, at any period, having been
extinct, and always having been indus
trious.
There seems to be no doubt that the
mosquito is capable of communicating
a poison. Tho fact that If it is allowed to
remain long enough to draw out a suf-
ficient quantity of blood but little irri-
tation remains seems to prove this.
but it is also said that it is capable Ct
inoculating mankind with malarial dis
ease.
DR.. Finlay. of Havana, asserts that 1t
is his belief that the mosquito is an agent
in spreading yellow fever. He says
that the insect, after puncturing h
skin of the yellow fever patient, retains
some of the germs of the disease, and
that he communicates these to the next
person he visits. So sure is he that tho
mosquito is the active IL not the only
agent for the dissemination OF yellow
fever, that he holds that the disease
can o exist where the mosquito does
not flourish.
The book will serve II good purpose
at least. 1t will do justice to hat
much-maligned insect variously known
in different parts of the country as the
~dragon-fly, mosquito-hawk, devils darn
ing needle and snake-feeder. 1t will
place him in u better light, for, instead
of deserving tho obloquy which has
universally been cast upon him he ap-
pears to he entitled to much considera-
ton, as the insect relied upon to destroy
he mosquito.
Captain c. n. Il. Macaulay Of the
United States army has given his ex-
p%erience. In the summer of 1SS5 no
was on duty at Fort Abraham Lincoln
in Dakota. To show the thickness OF
the mosquitoes at that time in the
neighborhood OF Fort Abraham Lincoln
he says: o the target range. during
the end of June and about three weeks
in July, | could o stay unless | had
on heavy boots-such as are used out
there for riding-thick trousers, leather
gauntlets and a thick cache nez' tucked
under my helmet and collar of my
%tunic."
The air was filled with clouds OF these
tormentors, yet at the appearance of
two or three dragon flies the mosquitoes
would suddenly disappear. lie was
curious to see how they caught their
food. lie noticed that they few in an
irregular kind of skirmish line, moved
slowly, and every now and hen made
'dabs' at apparently nothing. Fact
one of these ''dabs' meant 4 mosquito.
Another authority, who seems to hold
that it would be questionable policy t.
attempt to destroy the mosquito, it be-
ing in his opinion 4 s~cavengcr, says
that other enemies may he relied upon
TO do that work. lie suggests that To
Danish the mosquito the best plan is to
drain meadows, hogs and swamps, to
fill up stagnant pools and level rain.
holding hollows contiguous to dwell.
ings-
Certain artificial remedies are also re
lied upon. The use of coal oil in swamps,
by odorizing the air and floating upol
the surface of the water itself, is i very
practical and energetic remedy. 1t de-
stroys the mosquito in its early stages
The use of lanterns, ST arranged "a to
attract and destroy the mosquitoes, il
another remedy. The mosquitoes ars
attracted to them, and are destroyed III
the cans of coal oil or kerosene or Other
similar mixtures which may be used.
They should be placed around houses.
hotels and in marshes. Tho expense
and trouble of management are small, as
they are only used during 4 few months
of the year. Indeed, almost every
method Imaginable of catching and de-
strOying the insect has been suggested
except the very simple n of putting
salt on its tail and clubbing it to death
These scientific authorities are not
above Offering suggestions for the relief
of persons whose situation makes them
liable to suffer from the bites of these
insect tormentOrs, and who can not wait
for the propagation of the dragon fly.
They recommend lemon juice, vinegar.
oil of peppermint and oil of p~cnnyrOyal.
A very strong infusion of roots of triti-
cum repens is successfully used at Sim /
brisk as a preventive against mOsqui-
toes, and a weak solution of quassia wood
boiled in water, has also been recon-.
mended.