Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-21

loose, causing dire
A-@ distress to the my
RAIDS Of little rascals
which make the
Yankee farmer unhappy and which tor
m ,nt every American under his own roof.
At the recent meeting Of the medico-legal
congress in New York the fact that disease
germs may be Used with unhappy effects
for the accomplishment Of homicides was
pointed out, but whe has guessed that
such happy results as Insecticides may be
had from the came?
Experiments in this new science are
being conducted By DR.. s. A. Forbes of
the agricultural experiment station at Ur-
bana. ILL.,, under direction of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. DIR. Forbes has ex-
perimented with caterpillars. seventeen
year locusts and many other insects A
great part Of his work has been aimed at
the "chinch bug" which during the sum-
mer has committed many thousands of
dollars worth of damage to the western
corn and wheat crops. All insects, of
course, have their characteristic diseases
and plaques, just as do men. DR.. Forbes
has discovered that disease which is most
fatal to the chinch bug.
Germs of Disease.
This is what is commonly known as the
white fungus" In a few days after con-
tracing this malady the insects die. soon
after which they become covered with q
sort of white mold. The germs. or spores,
Of this white growth have been carefully
studied under the microscope, and it has
been discovered how to cultivate them arti-
ficially. This may be done in a manner
similar to that in which consumption, diph-
iberia, or other disease germs are cultured
by bacteriologlsts for experimental pur-
poses. The culture media must first be
found. This must be a preparation upon
w
in the human body.
For breeding consumption or diphtheria
germs psychologists use bouillon made
of beef broth, gelatine and other food stuffs
which correspond In their compositions to
the living tissues Of the body upon which
the germs naturally live. The culture media
Of the chinch bug disorder is found to be a
batter of raw corn meal mixed with beef
broth. This Is put in test tubes and jars,
and the white particles of the disease are
sprinkled upon it. Soon they begin to grow,
spreading and injecting almost the entire
substance.
If uncorked among a mass of insects this
heavily charged media will, of course, fill
their minute breathing organs with the
deadly germs, SO small that they are not
probably distingufshable in the air which
these little creatures inhale. The bugs will
in the course of a few days die of a Pesti-
lence, more fatal even than Is the small
pox to US.
Distributing Contag ion.
DR.. Forbes has adopted a novel plan for
distributing contagion among healthy in
sects at work in the corn and wheat fields.
All over the country infected with the
chinch bug plague he has. through the pa
pers, requested all farmers desiring to rid
themselves Of 1t. to send him by express as
many healthy insects as may be captured
and placed in boxes. These after being ex-
posed to the disease-covered batter were
Slipped back to the farmers. who were in
structed to keep them confined until dead of
the disease. AS many other living bugs as
might be caught were placed in this same
"contagion box" until they showed signs of
the disease, when they were liberated into
| the fields to carry the plague to the re-
mainder of their healthy neighbors. The
Agricultural Department has record Of ex-
periments in this line made by hundreds of
farmers with amusing results.
Many agricultural scientists predict that
the experiments open a wide field for a
new science, which will bring benefit to the
G. P. Gillette, in reporting from the Sec
ton Of entomology at the recent meeting
Of the association of agricultural colleges
and experiment stations, referred to the
| most valuable advances in economic en-
tomology.
Not DangerOuA to Men.
But would we suffer the danger Of con-
| tracing for ourselves one of those dis
| eases, from the mosquito. for instance,
| which deals directly with our blood? En-
| tomologists have found that the diseases
Of insects are not dangerous to men, al
| though disease is frequently carried from
one man to another by flies and others OF
| their kind. This latter point was recently
| demonstrated before the Royal Society
London. Common house flies were placed
| in contact with cultivation of disease
| bacilli. They were afterward allowed te
escape into a large room, where they re.
| manned undisturbed for a certain number
of hours. When afterward captured they
| were made to walk over slices of sterilizeG
potatoes. 1t was found that at each point
where fly made its track on potato
| there were growing the deadly germs of the
same disease. The result of this expert
| ment was meant to demonstrate the danger
viously exposed to insects which may have
| only short time before had their feet II
| contact with evil germs.
Foreign doctors have likewise been in
who recently died Of septic eryslpela.
| brought to her by fly whose mandibles
| doubtless, had been buried in a sore or
| another person only short time before
sects were not found to have contracted
the disease themselves, nor would any
| danger be offered to man by any plague O.
| the insect world.
lively with DR.. Forbes not only take liv,
| bugs charged with disease and distribut,
| them in the fields, but take the dead car
cases found in their boxes and place then
| around on leaves and branches of tn,
| trees destroyed. In some cases the cul
! ture media itself has been placed on plan
life, which method is, of course, more ex
| pensive.
Looking further into the future VIII,
| need this new science be confined to tn,
| destruction Of insects? Why not exter
inmate snakes. rats. mice, and other large
| enemies to the happiness of the ruler O
| beasts in the same manner?
Ministers Forbidden to Trade.
| From tho Chicago Chronicle.