The sun., 1901-07-28
NEW eaEsASs HUNTS sosoUITozs.
rks Dsasss l. ssrsas There fAas the lnsset l.
Guilty ef DsssssanatAnG Yellow Fever.


NEw ORLEANS. July 3s.--Ths plan Of pro-
osdurs has boon arranged and the initial
steps taken 10 rid New Orleans OF moe-
auitoes. and Il is hoped by next year 70 bs
done with these insect pssta. which are prob
ably worse here than In any othsr city In the
world. and have been srowins moro bother
some Of late especially In the residential
section II Ia too late TO accomplish much
this summer. for the insects are hatched
hero mainly in April and May. but thorough
Investigation will be carried on. both scien-
tincslly and practically. to learn the habits
and breeding places Of tho mosquitoes and
the most effective way Of combating them.
Tho problem Ia more dlricult In New Orleans
than elsewhere In the country. because the
mosquito lives through the winter and breeds
even In January and because the area OF
breeding land IA greater. Nevertheless. II v
considered certain that the insect can 10
greatly reduced IN numbers II not annihisted.
The movement against the mosquito Ia
backed BY the New Orleans Board OF Health.
Tulane University and the medical pro-
fession, headed by DR.. Chaillt. Dean Of the
Medical Department II IN hoped TO secure
the assistance Of the householdors as q body
and induce the latter to register Themselves
a. enemies Of the mosquito and willing TO
carry out any preventive measures suggested.
A house to house canvass will be made ard
every place Of ground. cistern or gutter
whore mosquitoes can be bred VIII be teri
lised and rendered innoouous. This. with
the public improvements now under WY.
the drainage Of the swamps back Of town
and the abolition OF that scandal. the open
and stagnant gutter. which breed mosquitoes
By the million. win render II easily possible
10 get rid of tho pestiferous insect.
The subject has been under investigation
for two years both BY leading physicians Of
New Orleans and by the professors Of natural
history in Tulane University. The investisa-
ton has been thorough and complete and has
wrfhsd the worst that has been said about
the mosquito a. well ~ orphaned many
mystsries Of the past. which sorsly puzzled
the doctors Of that day The cause Of the
spread Of yellow fever was Investigated again
and again In tho past and no solution OF It
found. In the report Of the commission sp-
pointed by the City Council TO study the cpl
demio Of 1888 II was attributed to the canal
digging Of that year. and II was laid down
- an undisputed proposition that the disturb
snos Of the earth by DIGGING during the sum-
msr was likely TO develop and spread the fever.
Thh idea remained current for a quarter OF
a century. and laws were passed prohibiting
digging. paving and such work that disturbed
the soil during the hot months. II was only
abolished and tine disturbance OF the earth"
theory exploded.
During the earlier epidemios the summer
was rainy and heavy rainfall nD,in ana =, great eat
spread OF the fever. II not the cause OF the
disease, but the falslty Of this idea was shown
in 1897, when tie fever came with drought,
and rain was found to check or mitigate II
Then the drought theory. the very opposite
Of that held before became general During
all this time striking fact was noticed which
puzzled sanitarians The disease was worst
In the better residential districts OF the city
where the streets were cleaned and the best
sanitary rulcs were enforced: whereas In the
ment district Of New Orleans II It had .ene-
ments, where the people lived crowded to-
gether and In squalor-the very breeding
place. one would think. OF dlsease-it did
In 1897 IL made its appearance early In the
italian quarter. around the French market.
This caused great apprehension lest rhe
disease should become widespread Ine
italians being newcomers were subject to the
fever most Of them lived In great suualor.
and there was strong prejudice on their
part against calling In doctors But the disease
never took root there: instead, i moved to
the upper districts the region Of handsome
residences and ample grounds adorned with
trees and shrubbery OF all kinds.
With the mosquito key to the problem. we
can understand the apparert anomaly. for
the upper or residential district IL MOSQUITO
ridden The little insect needs roosting
place or hiding place from the sun: and he
dnds IL In the shrubbery. Wherever there are
trees there are plenty OF mosquitoes. but In
the thckly settled portions OF the city. well
built up and treeless the mosquito has no
place 10 20 To In the daytime and II he cannot
f1nd closet to hide in dies Of sunstroke.
New Orleans a. n whole has not accepted
the mosquito disease theory. although 1t
has been certified 10 by so many eminent
scientists and medical authorities A special
Investigation has been under way here 10
test the theory and the result OF that in-
vestiRation made by some Of the most emil
nent physicians In New Orleans. will probably
settle public opinion on this question.
But aside from this theory New orleans
has determined to get rid OF the mosquito
as a nuisance, the only thing that stands
in the way OF making the summer nights
here perfect II is announced by the investi.
gators that most OF the mosquitoes are bred
on the place where they are found and that
very few Of them are blown In from the
swamps These conditions are most favor
New Orleans. The New Or leans Levee Board
has, for Instance. drained the swamp back
OF the city. formerly the breeding place OF
mosquitoes. The Drainage Commission is
NJ y busily At work getting rid OF the open
cutters, another source OF mosquitoes. and
with the extension OF the water works the
open cistern will be abolished, or nearly
so There remain only the ponds and un-
filed lots to look after and with Beaumont
oil at only n few cents a barrel all the ma
tera necessary for campaign can be easily
secured