The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-05
rHE MosouIro rIGHr.


The fight against mosquitoes is ON
In deadly earnest in Italy, and it must
be watched with great interest by an
countres that suffer from malarial
fever which, it is now decided, is pro-
pagated by tie pests We have suffer-
ed here somewhat from malarial fever
but nothing equal to what is suffered
in Italy and the Coast countries Of
Africa or in Central America, or the
reeking forests Of the lower Amazon.
But If we can get rid of the mosquito
we shall have done away with an
traces Of malaria, and viii have one in
the less TO contend with while one of
the greatest nuisances of the Islands
will have been removed.
The Italian government has started
out with an effort to do away with all
stagnaut pools. Ihis will be a long
and an expensive process. Moreover it
will be very hard to make if complete.
Our plan to cover the surface with
crude petroleum i'm a very thin layer.
Will probably be thoroughly effective
when we get to it, The second plan
is the preservation of man from mos
quito bites. For this purpose all the
workmen's houses from Rome to Pisa
under the control of the Mediterranean
Railway Company have been fitted
with wire screens. while wells that hang
from the hat below the shoulders are
used by the workmen, and their hands
are guarded by gloves. There is no
doubt that here we do not make suhi-
Gent use Of wire netting. Every new
house built should be made mosquito
proof
The third and last effort OF the Itali-
an Government is thus described by
DIR. Battandier who has written a
lengthy article upon the efforts of the
Italians in this direction. He says:
ITO suppress malaria we must do
away with those who have malaria. 1t
is well known that the AnOpheles when
il bites healthy person viii commune
cate to him, at worst, an excessively
light type Of fever, which may pass
unperceiyed. But If a mosquito bites
this person 50 affected the fever bacil-
lus reaches a fuller development in it's
intestines, becomes virulent, and when
anoLher person IS bitten viii cause
malarial fever in that person The
Anopheles does not fly far. IT,
then, we can cure all the individuals
who are found in a place reputed to
be malariOus, the bites of the mOsqui-
toes will not be dangerous, because
they can not take up from the inhabi-
tants the weak virus that becomes
Virulent when it passes through the
insects intestines. Thus the Italian
scientists attach great Importance TO
what DR.. GosiO calls the 'amelioration
of the men To try this new cure the
Government has sent a commission to
Grosseto. This Tuscan city has 80 bad
a reputation as malarious place that
the Italian Government sends periodi-
cally to ScansanO, an elevated and
healthy town, its officers and DEPART
ment of justice (prisOners eXcepted)
and all it's subordinate officials"
Whatever is done by country which
Is fighting malaria Systematically and
scientifically is worthy of our attention
here. 1t is true we do not suffer so
much as they do elsewhere, but pests Of
this sort increase in viruence and we
may nip the evil in the bud or at all
events before it becomes so viruIent
as to practically depopulate sections
Of country, as 1t has done in Italy, and
which it might do here.