Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-20
MISSING BUG" ARRIVES HERE
At Once Begins It's Operations. as -Four Of
Its Victims Will Testify.
EXPOSITION VISITOR IS BADLY s1use
Physician says that the
"kissiuR HuE" IL Nothing More
Nor Less Than n Night Fly OF
the Mosquito species.

The dread kissing bug has made its ap-
pearance in Omaha. Three cases OF people
suffering from the insects venomous stIng
were reported Tuesday. Physicians gen.
orally have scoffed at the idea of this new
species Of bug, whose bite is very poisonous.
but several practitioners have had occasion
TO pull down dusty volumes from their liz
brary shelves in quest OF cases similar to
those which came under their observation
Tuesday, Today they admit that there may
be more OF truth than fiction in the kissing
bug" stories and 10 account for the exist
ence OF the insect described they are willing
to accept the theory that It was brought
from the Philippines in the baggage Of re-
turning soldiers.
Percy Lockyear, the 9-year-old son o, John
Lockyear, Twenty-third and Seward streets
tells a queer tale OF an experience with the
new insect. The youngster was sent to
bed early Monday evening as a punishment
for misbehavior. He says he remembers
having seen what appeared to be an electric
light bug fly in through the open window
about dark. He heard the buzzing of its
wings in the room for several minutes. but
being accustomed to handling creatures OF
this kind he did not mind its presence and
soon fell asleep.
The boy says he slumbered only short
time, when he dreamed that the bug crawled
over his face and bit him on the lip. He
had hazy idea that the insect was getting
even with him for his having pulled off the
wings OF fellow bugs found on the street
basking in the light from electric lamps
He woke up long enough TO feel stinging
sensation on the upper lip and see the bug
fly out the window. In the morning the lip
was swollen TO the size OF hens egg
nh ia h.
little fellows description OF the bug corre-
sponded exactly with that given in the
Philadelphia Medical News. 1t was an inch
in length. dark brownish red color with
long attenae or "whiskers." The insect has
six legs. Its generic name is "opiscaetus"
and it is said to be a parasite species Of
bedbug
The Lockyear boys lip was not improved
by the application of alleviants.
Herman Nagle, cutter formerly employed
by the Niohol tailoring establishment. 2Oe
South Fifteenth street. was the second suf-
ferer. He awoke Tuesday morning to find
his lips swelled many times their normal
size by a poisonous bite which he attributes
to the sting Of the ubiquitous kissing bug"
The insect got in its peculiar work also
on the lips OF Sing Lee, a laundryman at
Eleventh street and Capitol avenue. The
kissing bug" took place in broad day
light, fact which will shatter popular be-
lief in the theory that the bug works only
in the night time.
Lee was putting at long, black pipe when
the insect began to fly back and forth before
Eis face. He brushed IL away several times,
but it finally lit upon his cheek and stung
him severely on the corner OF the mouth
Lees face looks as il he wore a good sized
apple under his cheek. The Chinaman ap-
piled to a druggist for medicines to reduce
the swelling. but as ordinary remedies pro-
duced no effects, he asked at the police sta
ton for treatment by the city physician
"KissinG Bug at the Exposition.
The kissing bug was at the exposition
grounds last night and 1t not only laid Miss
Helen Jackson low. but 1t sent her to the
hospital in hot haste. Miss Jackson came
down from Sioux City TO visit the exposition
She was walking along the banks OF the La
goon, admiring the illuminations and the
tropical shrubbery, when, with whirring
sound, some insect few against her face and |
an instant later stung her upon the upper
lip. AT the time she thought nothing Of the !
matter, but within five minutes her lip COM |
menced to ache and she Immediately started |
for the hospital. Before she reached there |
the Up was swollen 10 tnree lmeS ltS normal !
size. DR.. Campbell made an examination OF |
the disfgured facial member and declared |
that it had been bitten by some poisonous |
insect. He applied the usual remedies used |
in treating bites OF insects and soon relieved !
Miss Jackson OF her sufferings, but was un-
able to reduce the swelling.
Speaking OF Miss Jackson's condition DR..
Campbell said: Her condition is not criti-
cal, yet it will be day or two before the
lip is we'll. This kissing bug that they talk |
so much about and which evidently bit this
woman is nothing other than a night fly,
on the order of the mosquito. II
has a needlelike tongue, which 1t pushes
through the skin in search of blood, thus
causing the wound. The tongue carries
some decomposed animal matter and when
once injected into the human flesh causes an
which brings on Inflammation and
acts something like blood poison
ing"
10 Go Through Omaha.
A party, composed Of several members of