The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-06-07
henemurrat-Sia r
SOME FACKS ABOUT FLEAS

RAIuS VI THE HUMAN FLEA.
New York World.
Warm Weather never fails to deyelon
increased energy In that constant and
indefatigable companion OF mar and
woman, the flea. This fact has been
noted and commented on nv
many citizens Of New York. The sea.
son Is not sufficiently advanced "a,
flea plaques, but they will probably, as
In most years, be reported later.
The flea Is deserving Of some close
both on account Of It's remark.
able physiological construction and
also with a view to It's suppression.
Fleas are more generally dlIfused in
society than the other insects Which
attach themselves to the human per.
son. The latter are found almost en-.
tirely among the unclean, but owing
to the remarkable locomotive power,
OF the heas no n can expect entle
immunity from them.
1t appears that man and many other
animals, especially II they are furry,
maintain each a separate variety Of
flea. The dogs flea will not trouble
man, nor the cats flea a dog. More.
over, the flea, as Dean Swift has oh.
served, ''has smaller fleas that on him
prey; and these have smaller still to
bite 'em, and so proceed ad inGnitum.a
The common human flea, or pulcy
irritans, has IA high, sharp back and
fiat sides, so that 1t Is higher than Il
is broad. In this respect it is the on.
p0site OF a more offensive bedfellow,
The flca's body Is covered with A
hard, brown skin, arranged in Il series
OF overlapping wings. 1t has a pair of
legs remarkable for their strength and
for other things.
The divisions of the flea's legs are
known as the coxa, the trochanter, the
femur, the tibia and the tarsus. The
cOxa, which is the point next to the
body, is very large, and is freer than
in any other insect. The tarsus in its
turn is divided into five joints and
terminates in a pair Of sharp claws,
enabling the insect TO hold on to
clothing. Body and legs are covered
with bristly hairs. These point away
from the head and account for the
difficulty often experienced in hold.
ing the insect between thumb and
finger.
The fea's mouth IL Of the type
known us suctOrlal, and is admirably
adapt d for absorbing liquid food,
which it obtains by Il process of per.
foration. The mouth organs consist
OF a labrum, mandibles, maxillae,
maxillary palpi and labral palpi. Thus
it has three pairs Of organs and one
single organ for the Work Of obtaining
n0%urishmcnt, and we all know that it
uses them with great effect.
The lahrum, or upper lip, is a slend-
err sawed ycd hristlc, perforated
throughout Its length with a minute
canal. The miAdibies are on each side
of it and are formed like two straight,
fiat blades, pointing downward ana
nOtclled on each side like Il double
saw. The mandibular teeth number
about scventy-tlve In each row on each
side. There are six hundred Of these
sharp, glittcring teeth.
Tne maXillue IRE two sharp triangu.
lar p Gees, furnished with Il pair Of
long four-jainted palsi, or feel rs. The
labrum, or lower lip, carries a pair Of
palpi, each of which has a knifc-like
edge.
All these instruments cooperate
tremendously in the work of piercing
the skin with marvellous rapidly.
When we RI member that it requires
considerable pressure to make a pin
draw blood through the human skin
we shall better appreciate the powers
of the tiny flea.
The flea has a large stomach, but
that does not measure its capacity for
~dev0uring blood. 1t Is able to eject the
contents Of its stomach whenever an
opportunity presents of obtaining a
newer and freslier supply. 1t never
misses an opportunity.
The flea shows a marked preference
for women children and persons with
thin skins.
A large flea is able to leap to the
height Of a foot, or about a hundred
times its own length. II man could
take IA leap similarly proportional To
his height, he would apparently be
able to jump over the Pulitzer build
ing. But scientific examination shows
this calculation to be erroneous.
A medical authority gives the fol-
lowing advice to those greatly troubled
by leas 10 their houses. The best and
indeed only effectual means Of getting
rid OF these pests is by Thorough, and
systematic cleaning. Pulex irritans
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