The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-10

>
BALTIMORE. June 10-The war of
George Stewart Brown. councilman. for
/ the determination of mosquitoes has
aroused great interest in the city Mr.
Brown introduced a resolution in the
council week ago calling upon DIT. Bos-
ley. the Health Commissioner for certain
Information 7, garding the mosquito and
the best methods of ghting the pest. He
thinks kerosene oil " Il prove effective
Mr. Brown has received a copy Of the
report for April made by Major W. c.
Gorgas. Chief Sanitary officer of Ha-
vana. Cuba In it Major. Gorgas says:
The amount of sanitary work still con-
tinueS large We are not now doing as
much cleaning of houses with our own
forces as formerly, [ having transferred
about two-thirds of these men to the
mosquito brigade They are employed in
cleaning out the various bitches and
streams where stagnant water is found
and putting kerosene oil in all of these
places. During the month about 20.0)0
houses have been gone over in this man
ner- \ little oil is placed in every recep-
tacIe containing standing water and about
an ounce into every closet and sink in
houses having water connections Nearly
every house in Havana has cesspooI.
and these cesspooIs are ideal breeding
places for mosquitoes. The oil in this
way runs into the cesspooI and kills the
larvae. l have recently examined several
of the main sewers that empty into the
| bay and have seen d large number of
larvae floating out. showing that a con-
siderable number are being killed by this
method
DIT Alexander y. Stark, surgeon u. S.
Army, at Fort McEfenry, who has recent
~ returned from Cuba. is applying at the
fort some o. the methods used 50 success
fully against malaria and mosquitoes
near Havana. Dr. Stark says of the
work:
The only feasible defence against the
malaria mosquito is the petroleum sys-
TEN. I have seen the effect of the oil
since its first application in Cuba and
speak from actual experience, Aiy first
! experiment was tried at Columbia Bar
racks in the fall of 1898. The barracks are
/ five miles west of Havana and two miles
from the Gulf Malaria was prevalent at
that time, excellent breeding places for
the anophcIes being provided in the Ia
goons between the post and the Gulf
Crude petroleum was hcated on the
/ surface of these iasoons, the proportion
used being one ounce to ten square feet
/ OF surface. The result was that not only
! insects were deferred from depositing
( their oya- At the same time, all soldiers
! suffering from malaria were carefully
/ confined beneath nets and subjected to
the usual treatment for malaria until free
/ from symptoms and the examination Of
blood showed absence Of all evidence of
+ the disease. The result of this expert
} ment was the absence Of fresh case Of
malaria for d period Of eighteen months
/ at which time / left the island
Far more important than the extinc-
ti0u Of the misunderstanding mosquito was
! the destruction Of the genus fascitaus
, -hich has been C0nclUsiyely proved to be
: tne intermediate host of the yellow fc-
YER To this end Major Gorgas, Sanitary
/ officer of Havana, and al medical off,
/ GERS IN the Island of Cuba, waged war
I against the mosquitoes with such success
/ that only two cases Of yellow fever have
/ appeared in Havana. since February 1,
/ 1901. something unprecedented II the his
/ tory Of the city.
When I arrived st Fort McHenry. on
April Is. there were already many mosqui-
/ toes here Major Peter LeaTy- commander
( OF the post. Immediately offered his CO.
/ ODeTEriOu, and steps were taken toward
the determination Of the pests. I soon
. located the origin of the mosquitoes IN
! three incOmPlete4 magazines, in the mol
lows OF which water stands throughout
. the year. We have nOated petroleum
there with the result that only one or two
{ insects have been seen since the first
( application During previous years there
/ have been many cases OF malaria and the
+ mosquitoes have been extremely annoy
ing. but this year We hope 10 90 through
the summer without 4 single case Of
malaria
To free Baltimore from the mosquito
pest il is necessary that the citizens CO.
operate with the health authorities. Meth
er can act successfully without the other.
Even small tomato can, IN which water
stands. viii furnish a breeding place for
enough mosquitoes TO iufest an entire
block. DepressiOns which contain water
should be filed up. The covering of cess
pools, cisteTns, and storage tanks IS Of
vital Importance The insects VIII not
breed in water exposed TO the sun and
free from water pants and grasses IN
the holes around the suburbs of Baiti-
more many generate and are driven by
the wind into the city They can be car
red about mile 10y this means Il all
SraSs-grOwn depressious in which water
staSnates about the suburbs should h.
subjected TO the petroleum treatment and
d thorough campaign be inaugurated by
the individual citizens and the health
board in the city this summer I have no
doubt that the mosquito nuisance would
be greatly lesseEed-
The value Of the petroleum procedure
is so well established that General Wood
has made it compulsory for the military
and civil authorities in Cuba to use it
against the insects. [ can assure the peo-
viii not drive into the city clouds of mos
qaitoes from Fort McHenry as in former
seasons
Mr. Brown has also received a copy of
the mosquito ordinance Of Winchester
Va. where the kerosene oil method was
tried with much success last summer The
ordinance is as follows:
/ An ordinance to provide a method for
the destruction and prevention of the
mosquito in the city of Winchester
Pc it ordained by the Common Council.
Il That on OF before March Is 1901
and al least every three weeks therea fter
until November j.. 1901 there shall he de
posted in every open pool or sink or
from which there Is any opening OF outlet.
and upon the surface Of every barrel or
hoSshead kept for collecting rain water
and upon every receptacle Of any sort in
which water is allowed to stand for as
in the city of Winchester kerosene oil a
the rate Of one ounce for each fifteen
square feet, and d prop0Ttiouate quantity
for any less surface
=. 1t shall be the duty Of every owner
or OccupieF Of any house or lot IN the city
&c make the deposits Of oil as provided in
this ordinance. and in the case of barrels.
hoESheads OF other receptacle kept on the
premises for the collection of rain water
by spigOt of wood or metal placed As
near as convenient TO the bottom Of said
receptacle.
SO 1t shall be the duty Of the police
under the instructions of the Mayor. TO
see TO the enforcement Of this ordinance
and to supply persons unable to secure
them with the necessary oil and spigots.
II. The Mayor shall have authority. If
in his judgment the occasion requires il,