The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
VARIED TEXAS T0RMENTS.


r,,.,r Kind The Covenants Ways.
,yr,vto. Tex, July lo.--The kissing
,r, CO. ~. led which Is causing mia sehsa-
.,,,, ~, Nnrth il an old resident down mere
,I the longer 1t il known the less II IL llkeu
,r,,. -o,orI. Of the Southwest do not contain
~, .,,,co of n death resulting from the bite
:, ,h,s nag. which seems singular. since 1t 10
r,, infre1ucnt that sufferer IA thrown INTO
.,,,,pl-ons hy the violence OF the pain. Thero
do lout,t. however. that the insect has been
81, indirect cause Of death Of great many
won and women. It's noticed often about SICK
-n,s md i, il gets on the bed It will bite the
,,,t,cn, Then Il departs to bite some one else
,Cnc disease is n transferable one the bug Will
t,r il Thnrc are several transferable
l,aoosas here smallpox. for instance Further
son,b yellow fever Ia not an uncommon all
,,r, Ik. the mosquito. the kissing bug
.,,e,1s yellow fever industriously.
~, insect belongs to the large order OF
,,,,I.s NJ which there are moro than thou
s,rt II IS black in color is halt-inch long.
has short wings a hard back. long teeIcrs and
4, rowrrful rrohoscis. or heak. 1t has been
rr,vr 'yr generations along the Rio drande
a. me LIood-u"ker No one ever thought OF
calling il a kissing bug. because. as matter
n, fact. n j., rot particular about what part OF
,b. body il attacks. 1t will bite finger or toe
os ouirEiy as il will bio the ltrs. Most OF its
,vounIs are inflicted at night. because then Its
,in,rn,s are asleep and more easily attacked.
7, ,srnt however, strictly n nocturnal insect.
u,ny ,olks have been bitten by II while taking
mir oft,r,,oon siesta which is as much an in-
.,tutlon In this country as the night sleep.
rho b,o,ksucEcr lives In the cracks Of the
wells If old buildings Il is especially fond
N, the old adobe structures which are
,,.rtifuI IN the Southwest II is not
parasitic insect that is to say, 1t does not lay
us crrs IN the body Of another insect. Ii de-
posts them in the crack which 1t makes its
home. and they are hatched without further
trouble. distinguished official OF the Smith
sonian Institution at Washington said recently
char {, attacks chickens. but II does not. Chick
ers attack il when they can find it and eat it
with gu-to II Is said to live upon hcdbugs
IN, it is not cultivated because OF this sup
ro-ed virtue PEOPLE would rather have the
lcdhucs II lives whole season through and
has been known 10 appear III winter Though
i,s wings are arparcmtly too small for its
weight and length. it is a swift flyer and is
agile II is not especially dreaded. because
this Is land Of insects, and some OF them are
ssroinful and as dangerous as the kisscr.
There is the sand flea. for instance. The
sand flea exists in millions. Its habitat. as its
name indicates. is in the weary leagues OF sand
with which portion of the Southwest Is
cursed II is one hall the size OF the ordinary
flea is Of the same color and has the same
marvellous lcaphC capacity 1t is OF a differ
ent build however Its abdomen is much
larger and its head smaller and sharper. Its
weapon OF offence lies in its abdomen. 1t at
tacks always the human foot. II would be
powerless il everybody wore shoes, but in the
summer time in this region nearly all the
poorer men and women go bare!ooted. The
soles Of their feet get as hard as horn. They
have to be in order that their owners may
walk over the burning sands which will roast
IN egg in short order. The flea attacks
the big toe Just where the nail projects
II burrows under the nail and makes its way
into the flesh. Its progress is rapid and
strange to say, palnlcss. except for n slight
itching II the person attacked neglccts the
itching for q few hours he is apt to have
trouble When 1t has entered q sufficient dis
tanre the flea lies still and its already large alb.
domen begins to swell. 1t swells and swells
meanwhile causing intense pain to the victim
and finally il bursts and the insect dies. From
the eggs which it spills maggots are formed il
two hours. and they begin their work Of de-
stroyng the tissues. They ar" small worms
hut very busy. They can be treated with any
one OF the many medicines designed for sucl
things, but their appearance is almost Away:
followed by loss Of the tOenail. 1t is not eX
ceptiOua for the toe TO come of also Tn,
trouble lies in the fact thai the poor PEG
Ile of the country districts have no medi
cines at hand and are often unable Il
get any. A. an offset they have become par
ticu!arIy expert in removing the flea as soon a.
itenters. Awhile man will dig fruitlcssly a
the tiny punCture Tor hours and finally b,
forced to call in physician who may or ma
lot do HIM some good. II he will take his foo
IL ms hand. however. and hunt some old Next
needle, insert il delicateiy and in another mo
mtn' show him the tea implied. Pressed t
And fear that the amount she has in min,
VIII cause Violent remOnstrance At last. pre-
she Will name un real. senior" which is ~
cents Death sometimes follows the attack b
ths sand flea because Of blood poisoning.
There Is an insect In the Southwest YER
common and 80 small as-to be invisible exc"p
snd ,ne very shaTlcst eyes or through micro
Quent, dap a c@ About cow SI o1: and nm sm r
sI1ts tits always prescott even in cold weather
although it is less active then 1t is SO SINAI
unm % the bug and the Kingdom Of the pa IA
s'e. II as" attacks the foot and it's prrsenc
itching This itching begins between til
a. red 3D. bojch ,p,t beyond the Jnncture {
.hc zoe and the foot. 1t runs along the top {
IN" loot behind the toe Jointur"s until 1t ha
Inaue red band II quarter Of an inch wide
stretching clear across. Then II goes down
MdFu ana 'grats the bottom Of the foot in tn
saile way II comes up again to the mp"
sur hnNlLg advanced a quarter of an inch &c
MaIl we al ko and once more runs arOuni
~ az Nlte while the foot has been traverSed |
miis way halt dozen times and looks not mI
ny u loot wrapped in II pink ribbon. I'll
iWnIhg Is said 10y those who have tried both
eas had a. the Itch Of smallpox. II the itci
lug Is NOT treat" promptly the parts Of tn
,pP;n affected Will slough OF and serious con
p4Gsllons may follow
slns most universal pest with which tn
S"u,hWtst Is afflicted is the varousy demon
smel req bug, or chjGO. or chigger. 1t. too.
Su''ll' uut NAV h" seen by an ordinary eve.
onHln"TlraI n shape. and Of n bright crimsC
o o u has been said that il tn" snow biz
,aIi'eu a. much poison in proportion to i
~ nv a. ~" rhigO it could STAY regiment
HrI, IN" "hlGu dwes in green grass. {
nSsNhrs, On trees and Ou flowers Ii likes fel
~ m'' KIM. and will swarm impurtaiiy upC
in'm' n'H' eats, horses or chickens 1t eXis
~ H,'l"us; nor Is there any going into Il
iM', ,s "r nehte IT summer and escaping it.
tboV w, bahr a picnic parties II max,
NJ u NE o. the fisherman burden. Half
on Rru-SpOt in the cool OF Il
wnnE Is Sufficient Ia rob person Of
nnIt e''P II - one Of the Affections tn
vm rnN We |orn", because there Is no way
fW""'u,he against It nor any remedy for
"rnneI II Is inflicted. The poison must
"I,'""HH I" run it. course. The spot where 4
H., y" elects to dine becomes highly |
...,I.