The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-09-17

matter. which otherwise might cause
wholesale death by plague; two act as
pollenisers, and three form for our eata-
BILE fishes
One of the most important achievements
of this census commission, however has
been the determining of the proper. elassf-
cation for the mosquito. It has been the
popular impression for years that the mos
quito although often a nuisance, was
public benefactor and that his eXtermina-
ton would react upon the races of man.
Contrary to this opinion it is now known
that they are most harmful insects. one
of the most harmful families of the insect
kingdom. in fact, and that instead Of alb
sorbing elements that might be injurious
to man they themselves inject disease into
the bodies Of their victims
Ernest Austin of the Natural History de-
partment of the British Museum knows
more about mosquitoes than ordinary peo-
pie ever imagined there was to learn. In
his work of assisting the census takers
he has gathered mosquitoes from every
part of the globe and he does not hesitate
to give his stamp of approval to this con-
clusion of the commissioners. II have
found" he says. that such diseases as
malaria are undoubtedly contracted from
mosquito bites at times, and l expect to
prove that it is always so. We have al
ready found that bird diseases in India
are spread by parasites peculiar to them
similar state of affairs exists between mos
quitoes and man and that malaria and its
kindred diseases are due to the bite of this
insect"
Another important discovery made by
temperate zone is getting mixed up with
population of the world is increasing al
most prodigious rate and that bugs are
constantly changing their habitation. That
means that the insect population of the
temperate zozne is gettig mixed up with
that of the tropical, which accounts to
some degree for the appearance of SO many
so-called new bugs. That there Is a great
deal of truth in this statement there can be
no doubt, for there is no record OF a great
err bug year than this through which we
are passing.
From one end of the country to the other
there has been the same complaint Cities
everywhere have been infested with fly
ing or crawling marauders. The greatest
curse of all has been the mosquitoes Tor,
with our present knowledge of the charac-
ter of the insect. great deal OF the as
ease now prevalent can be laid to their
door In addition to this the columns oil
the papers have been filled with accounts
of fatalities due to the work OF TINS pest
all of which tend to stamp 1t as being the
most harmful of all the insects with whlch
we have to contend. That this is not SEN
sational theory that has no basis IN TACT
is shown by the Investigations of the sci
entifc societies. for in every country sci
entists in the pay of the government are
now making experiments in hopes OF be-
ing able to devise some means OF eXtefmlh-
ating the pest.
Several remedies have been projected and
all are now carefully examined with the
probable result that within year or two
we shall have a concerted effort that Will
wipe out this terrible affiction. To aehleNe
this result effort must necessarily be con-
certed. for to drive the pest from one sec
tion of the land will not eXterminate them.
The work is to be well done. however;
Chemical preparations are TO be resorted
to and the pools where they breed are TO
be filled up so that it probably Will not De
many years before TINS numerous ihs 5e
tbat s+eals unon us while we sleep in order
that it may fill our veins with the germs OF
disease will have become as much thlhs
of the past as the great aux and dodo