The times., 1899-08-27

| succeeds it is believed it is CARRYING ont
| the act of fertilization
Ihus inocuiated, the crow is considered
j Mt subject for another crop of mosquitoes
whlen may suck the malarial germs from,
their victims blood and, after the inter
mediate process. be ready to inoculate otbe,
birds, as the investigation is carried on.
one point has been settled eonclusiveiy. so
the doctors say, and that is that the mos
quito cannot directly inoculate malaria
from an infected person or bird to another
Although the mosquito may have malarial
germs in its stomach it cannot transmit
them until the process of reproduction has
been gone through with and the germs get
into the saIivary glands.
Usually the birds are not injured by the
incubation and survive to serve the pur-
poses of the doctors for further experiment
tations. The remaining mosquitoes are
killed off without compunction OF protest
from antivivisectionists Some experiment.
ers have had their birds succumb to the
severity of the disease thus introduced into
their systems.
Causes of Infection.
Investigation of the transmission of ma
laria by mosquitoes was suggested by the
following facts as set forth by DR.. William
S. Thayer. of Baltimore, in paper on
malaria, read before the Maryland Public
Health Association:
Mosquitoes invariably exist in malari-
GUS regions, and the malarial fevers are
more prevalent at those periods when the
mosquitoes are most abundant; they are
especially numerous in the regions about
swamps and marshes where the dangers of
infection are greatest. In a malaTious dis
trict there is greater danger of infection
at about sundown and at night, but sunset
and night are periods at which mosquitoes
are highly active. The dangers of infec-
tion are greater near the ground than in
elevated positions, but mosquitoes are
more numerous near the ground The dan
ger of infection is greater on quiet nights
than in windy weather, but wind is par
ticularly unfavorable to the mosquito.
'Emin Pasha was so convinced that the
bite of the mosquito played an important
part in the etiology of malarial fever in
Africa that he always travelled with
mosquito net and escaped the disease. Big
nami. further, has noted that in certain
parts of Italy workn1en who live in conf
cal huts, with a hole at the top, through
which the smoke of the little fire passes,
are unusually free from the disease, while
those about them may be almost univer-
sally affected. or course, the presence of
smoke is one of the surest projections
against mosquitoes.
Koch who last year devoted some
months in Africa to the study Of malaria,
was strongly impressed with the probable
ity of this hypothesis
An Entomoiogist's Opinion.
DR.. l.. o. Howard, Chief of the Di-
vision of Entomology, when asked by a
Times reporter concerning the relation o;
malaria and mosquitoes, said that the con-
Eection between the two has never been
established and that but very little is
known of the causes of and remedies for
malaria. DR.. Howard is probably the best
authority on the habits of the mosquito
in the country. He has written extern
sively concerning the insect and his OBJ
seryations have been widely published.
Before the reclamation of the Poto-
mac fats" said DIR. Howard, mosquitoes
were very troublesome and abounded in
the lower sections of the city, but since
the reclamation all sections of the city
have been relieved. In Baltimore it is i'm
possible to sleep without mosquito net
ting from May until September. The peo-
pie of the city enormously believe that the
prevalence of the insect is due to the
proximity OF the marshes of the Chesa-
peake, when as a matter OF fact the gem
eral practice in certain sections of the city
Of keeping open closets in the back yards
is responsible for the plague. Such places
are conducive to the propagation of the
insects People do not realize this, how
ever, and endeavor to kill the mosquitoes
instead of removing their breeding places.
"A very simple, but effective way of de-
stroying the breeding places of mosqui- |
toes is by pouring quantity of oil into |
the water or over the low, marshy ground |
where the insects breed. Another effect |
i've way is to introduce small fish in pools
Or ponds of water where mosquitoes |
abound. The fish feed upon the insects !
and in a short time after being introduced |
INTO mosquito-infested pool devour all |
he insects.
THE experiments now being conducted |
N Baltimore and elsewhere are Of great |
interest and it is to be hoped that some
successful way of combating malaria can I
De discovered"
There are evidences which go to show |
hat mosquitoes are not the only cause of |
Malaria In certain districts of Russia the |
inhabitants suffer from malaria where the !
temperature is below zero and the wealth
II is cold enough to exterminate mosqui- |
-oes. To show that the causes of malaria |
ire not known, instances may be cited |
where, in low marshy ground, commonly I
to be the breeding place of mala-
ial germs, no malarial germs exist, where |
Is in some hill countries, the malady is |
very prevalent.