The San Francisco call., 1899-07-09
CLIMATIC CON.
DITIONS OF
THIS STATE
SEEM TO BE
SUCH THAT
ITS POISON
HERE IS NOT
SO DEADLY.

fact that people have been bitten on the
lips with fatal results denotes nothing,
because the bug will bite. or sting, into
any part of a human being that 1t comes
into contact with. OF course 1t is only
natural, considering that the insect does
most of it's prowling at night. that 1t
should fly against peoples faces, as that
is the only portion of the body that is un-
covered.
'.Of my own experience, I have never
known death to ensue as the result OF the
bite of the Menalolestes picipes- But
have heard of a number of fatal cases
and have no doubt that the report was
reliable.
THE worst that I ever knew that hap
pened in California was in an orchard not
far from this city. A farm hand was out
trimming trees. 1t was early In March
and the day was quite warm.
Suddenly the man gave yell and put
his hand up to the back OF his neck
Everybody crowded around and looked at
the place the man indicated, but could see
nothing.
1--WE all thought at first that 1t was
spfder that had bitten the man, but he
soon gave another yell and said he had
been bitten again further down the back.
Turning down his collar, we found the
insect that had done the business.
.Bv this time the first bite had com
menced to swell and become very red.
The man groaned in agony but we were
poWerless to do anything except Hu1i1
him off to a doctor.
..Tbis naturally took some time, and the
man was in pretty bad condition when
help came to him. For hours the doctor
vas unable to afford the least rehef and
the man suffered agonies.
1T was several days before the poor
fellow was out of danger, and he needed
Of A
one time his neck swelled up to nearly
tpfce the natural size and he was most
avvf,1I-Iooking object. Convalescence was
slow but he finally pulled through ana
The doctor said it was about as close
shave as he ever met with in his pracllce.
Il have known of numerous other cases
of men being stung. Orchardmen nave
been stung on the hands Wrlsts anu 1ito
hacks of their necks. Some of them SUI
fered agonies and had to take to their
beds while others merely were lncon-
venienced for few hours.
.,The reason for this / cannot account
for EXCEPT that it was the condition OF the
mems blood. Weak thin or diseased plooo
would naturally have less resistance 10
the poison than strong, healthy plood.
And on the other hand, the poison IN
iacted from the insect might be OF dlffer-
emf strength at different times An IN
sect that had lain dormant for some hours
would be more likely to eject stronger
r,oison than one that had been active for
several hours and perhaps been forced TO
defend itself on several occasions.
s"There are some who hold to the ldea
that the poison that causes so much dam
aee 70 the human race is merely bacteria
that has accumulated on the end of the
Insects probe. In hunting for blood food,
they claim that this probe is driven INTO
the flesh and the bacteria naturally lett
in the wound.
''But this is not so. The insect secretes
noison and elects it at the instant of max
ing The puncture 1t has a full set of
noison glands similar to the mosquito.
We're the poison merely collected, as some
claim. it would be of many different kinds
and would produce a result in accordance
with the poison that had been collected.
"T call the Menalolestes picipes most
dangerous insect for several reasons.
First. because it flies at night, when peo-
pie are asleep and unable, or unlikely, to
defend themselves against it until they
have been stung Secondly, its sting can
prove deadly. And thirdly, few people
think the bug is dangerous. Small chill
dren like it's red color and might play
with one with fatal results.
But there is a sure and simple remedy.
That is ammonia. If you get stung put
drop on the wound and you will not run
much danger of fatal results.