The record-union., 1899-09-24
insects VS.. Nrankind.

II it had been a case of yellow fever
instead of simple case Of blood poi
soning they could not have been more
reticent about it at the POSTGRADUATE
| Hospital Yet the facts in the case
We're clear enough.
William Wiebbusch, young nan
who resided at No. 425 East Twelfth
street, was bitten by an insect about
a fortnight ago. The wound was slight
and for a day or two he paid no at
tention to it. Gradually, however, it
! began to grow very painful, and the
family physician was summoned. He
tried to assuage the pain, but his pa
| TENTS condition did not improve, and
last Sunday morning Wiebbusch Went
/ for treatment to the Post-Cfraduate
Hospital His head was then very
much swollen, and the physicians de-
clded that an operation was necessary.
/ Two operations We're performed, but
they were not successful and the re-
suit was that the young man died.
! Blood poisoning was assigned as the
cause of DEATH and the physicians
maintained that the bite was evidently
/ inflicted by q mosquito. They say
/ that this is not the only case on record
| in which death has been caused by
mosquito bite.
! If statistics may be trusted, it is safe
to say that very few persons die of mos
quito bites. Miss Larsen, a nurse,
died at Mystic, Conn, in August, 1898,
and the physicians attributed her death
to a mosquito bite. Since that time
until now no one except young Web
busch seems to have died from this
cause Singularly enough, too. in the
case of Miss Larsen. the head was the
point attacked and it became terribly
swollen.
I That the mosquito and other every
day insects should really be blamed for
the many injuries which are popularity
attributed to the so-called kissing and
strangling bugs is clearly the opinion
of many naturalists and physicians.
One eminent scientist believes that
the mosquito is responsible for q good
deal of the mischief, and that the bed
bug and flea are not entirely blameless.
1 If it be true that the aggressors are
common insects, which are ever With
US, much to our disgust, and not
strange exotic bloodsuckers, which
have now made their appearance for
the first time in this country, the. .ques-
tion naturally arises: Why are these
common insects waging such a fierce
/ war against human beings just now?
/ Many philosophers hold that a man
is a miniature world, a microcosm, in
fact, and that whatever affects the
world or the country in which he lives,
! affects him. Now this has been an
unusually dry summer and vegetation
I suffered much in consequence. When
] the drought passed away, the earth,
/ released as it were from it's prison, ex-
/ panded, becoming swollen in many
places and bursting beyond its usual
bounds. Much noXious matter may
have been released at the same time;
at any rate, according to believers in
! this theory, it was only natural that
man should sympathize with Mother
/ Earth and should suffer in the same
way as she did. In other words they
I maintain that mans body was more
/ apt to become swollen in places during
J the last few weeks than it has been
/ for a long time past.
/ Moreover, it is claimed that since
weather certainly affects human be-
ings, it must also affect the insect
/ world. If this be so, the unusual thirst
of insects for human blood may be the
result of the weather.-New York Her
aid