New-York tribune., 1901-08-05
DOTY WILL WAGE WAR.
THE STATEN ISLAND MOSQUITO Is
HIS ENEMY.
HEALTH OFFICER HAS LAID IN A LARGE
SUPPLY OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AND HOsTIIITIES BEGIN TO-DAY.

There viii be no thunder Of cannon. no shrieks
Of the dying-at least. none that will be heard
by the human ear-zno leaden hail that the nov
elist loves so well. and no ambulance corps TO
carry the wounded TO the rear. but there VIII
DE slaughter on Staten Island. just the same
and il is expected that the numbers of the slain
attributed TO Cesar or to Napoleon viii fade
into insgnfcance before the pTowess Of Dr.
Alvah II. Doty the Health Officer OF this port
who starts ont to-day mission OF death and
destruction. Unlike the campaigning Of the gen
erals mentioned, his war is not directed against
adults. but against infants These infants how
ever. are being nurtured by remorseless nature
30 war against human adults Of both sexes. and
also against children and animals
The enemy is the mosquito, which. indigenous
20 the soil-Or rather, the water-of Staten ISL
snd. is multiplying by thousands and thousands
daily. springing into action with ready swords
and attacking the able and the defenceless alike
with an impartiality that would be praiseworthy
If it not so painful and so disastrous to
health. General Doty therefore viii descend
upon a detachment Of the enemy, lodged in "a
pond near Concord. and fire his ammunition
where il viii do the greatest execution.
This pond Iear Concord swarms with the
larvR Of mosquitoes and has every requisite for
n malaria breeder. The people who live near
the pond have preserved some of the mosquitoes
that have invaded their privacy and have given
them TO Dr. Doty for examination. Dr. Doty
serts most positively that the insects carry ma
laria and are largely responsible for the
healthy condition of some people who live near
the pond.
i have found" said DR. Doty yesterday that
II IS difficult TO KIN the larrse of mosquitoes.
Only to-day ] have finished test which shows
that the young of the pest will live and flourish
In even such a substance as corrosive subliInate.
] thought this would Kiln them If anything
would, but Il seems that l was mistaken. Hours
after they placed in this substance they
wriggled about with all the freedom and vigor
Of an embryonic mosquito in his native element.
Il have tested different agents. and find that
none have the deadly effect of kerosene oil. Since
other substances are of use. / Will use kerO-
sene oil in my attempts to kill off the mOsqui-
toes in this particular place one drop OF this
fluid VIII, find, II placed In half glass Of
ter, destroy al the mosquito life il contains.
The Standard OIL Company has TO
10 barrels OF their product free Of charge and
the New-Sersey Central Railroad has trans
ported it without expense, so ! have an abun-
dance TO start with. Now, have found that If
the oil be placed on top Of the water IL has little
effect on the Larvae Of the mosquito / have
arranged rafts, with an appurtenance so placed
that the destroying oil viii be distributed under
the water II is bound to the top and
before il reaches the surface must come in
contact with the larva below. In this way | am
certain to catch the birds l am after I will be-
Gin the attack between 10 and II on Monday
morning. and think that ] viii have something
10 report in the way Of casualties before the
evening.
DO not understand that whatever shall be ac-
compnshed by this method viii do away with
the necessity for drainage; II will not. But il
viii ameliorate present conditions and show
the mosquito"