Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-02

Scientists have for years been study
ing the disease germs taken by mo-
squitOes from one human being, de-
velOped in the body of the insect and
then injected into another person to
poison his blood with malaria, but
few have given much attention to the
study Of the poison generated by the
mosquito itself and injected into the
victim of his, or rather her, bite The
effects Of this poison are apparent
every day in the blotches, and some
times slight alterations, which sur
round the scene of the mosquitoes
blood sucking visit.
DR.. w. S. Thayer, who at Johns
Hopkins Hospital is engaged in a
series of experiments which carry out
the now accepted theory that mOsquit-
oes transmit malaria, said recently
that he knew Of no scientific investi-
cation Of the mosquito poison which
accompanies every bite inflicted by
the insect. So widespread are the
rayages of the mosquito that nearly
every one is acquainted by personal
contact with the contents of the
poison gland of the little insect. With
the bite comes a singing sensation
of greater or less intensity, according
to the susceptibility of the person suf-
fering it. Itching follows, which is
usually allayed by scratching the bite.
Here IS where the damage is done, &C
cording to some physicians. From the
scratching finger nail germs get into
the slight wound and these set up an
irritation and local Inflammation
which may result in the formation Of
little pustule.
1t is believed that the actual poison
Of the mosquito, which is really its
saliva, is only a slightly irritating
organic poison which would have no
bad effects upon the human system, it's
irritating influence soon wearing
away But the finger nail does the
work by introducing germs into the
tiny wound. So minute are the little
poison glands and so small is the
amount of poison secreted by the in
sect that no one has taken the trouble
to gather it in quantity sufficient for
chemical analysis.
The function of the MOSQUITOES poi
son is probably two-foId. Some OBJ
servers think it is injected to aid in
lubriCating the prOboscis as it is in
sect's meal of blood. Another theory
is that the poisonous saliva serves to
make more fluid the blood, so that it
may be more easily sucked out by the
mosquito This seems to be borne
out by the noted absence of irritation
from the poison if the mosquito is
allwed to suck his fill, as then the
poison is probably sucked out also. If
the mosquito is allowed to suck his
fill, as then the poison is probably
sucked out also. II the mosquito is
interrupted in its meal the full effects
Of the poison are felt.
DR.. John S. Fulton, secretary OF the
State Board of Health, says that
when living i'll mOsquitO-infected
section of Maryland he tried not to
mind the little pests, allowing them
to have their feasts off his blood I'M
disturbed. Soon, he says, he became
immune to the poison and no longer
minded the bites nor was he incon-
venienced by the punctures Of the
mosquitoes.
While BaItimoreans are rising in
their wrath these warm evenings and
nights to smite the pestiferous moss
quitOes that are annoying them in
their homes and yards they may be
interested to know just what they are
shifting or would like to smite. In the
first place it is the female of the
species that has the bloodthirsty pro-
pensity.
The taste for blood is supposed to be
largely acquired, for it would obvi-
ously be impossible for all mosquitoes
to feed on warm blooded animals.
Their regular diet is a vegetable one
juices sucked from fruits and flowers.
Some species have been studied
which still keep up their vegetable
habits OF other species the females
alone are blood-suckers, while the
males stick to their vegetable diet. In
rare cases species have been found in
which both sexes prey on the blood
Of animals.
The act OF biting Of mosquito has
been iikened to the sinking Of an
aIteSlan we'll shaft It's biting an
paratus is the proboscis, which has
been discussed into nine parts. One
cf it principal part is the upper lip,
which extends nearly to the end of the
organ. Beneath it and in a groove
is long pointed canula which is
sort of extension of the pharangeal
tube. Through this the blood is
sucked. On either side are two lam
cet-shaped pieces, mandibles and
maXillae, which prepare the way for
the insertion of the proboscis. Phe
maXilae are more delicate and pro-
vided at the ends with number of
spine-like barbs, probably to enable
the mosquito to hold on after it has
once started on its quest for blood
Beneath all is a sheath which in
elses the other parts except along it's
upper border when open. This is the
lower lip and is somewhat dilated at
its end into pair of jointed valves.
These probably have to do with the
sucking of blood
When the proboscis is in action it