The Washington times., 1901-08-12
THE WAR ON THE MOSQUITO
Staten Islanders Interested in the
Experiments of DIR. DOty.
The Bes. Way to Rid Community,
He Snys. Is to Do Away with All
StngnRnt Water, and the Second
Best Is to Use Petroleum.

NEW YORK. Aug. n.-Staten Islanders
are watching with keen interest the mos
quito DISCRIMINATING operations of Dr. Al
yah II. Doty Health Officer of the port
of New York. on the ponds and old els
terms in the former town of Concord.
DIR. Doty says he chose that locality for
his experiments because of the large num-
Der of shallow ponds. the prevalence of
malarial disorders. and the general I'M
sanitary conditions due to old cesspoois
and cisterns and the raising of pigs and
poultry by many of the residents.
DR.. Doty frankly admits that the best
way to get rid of the pests he is fighting
is to fill up the ponds and pools, empty
the rainwater barrels and stagnant els
terms. and provide proper drainage for
the houses. but in the absence of an APP
|, preparation large enough for these i'm
provements, he is endeavoring to md To-
cal and temporary relief by treating the
infected places with crude petroleum. In
experimenting with the larvae of the mos.
quito, better known as the wiggletaii
of the rainwater barrel. DR.. Doty dis-
covered that bichloride of mercury. one
of the most powerful disinfectants and
germicides known, was very slow In KILL
ing them Carbolic acid also was not SO
deadly in the case Of the baby mosquito
as in that of bacilli The larvae lived In
weak solutions of these chemicals TWEEN
ty-four hours. He then placed rev
drops of petroleum in vessel containing
several larvae in an ounce OF water, anu
was surprised to see the creatures Ole
quickly. He continued his experiments
until he proved that the ovum was also
sterilized by the oil. and that the fully
developed mosquito did not like to stay In
his usual haunts after oil had been
sprinkled on the grass. This was enough
to encourage him to experiment on a
larger scale, and he called into eonsulta-
,Jv,,fy, NJ h0 of 8 n
gineer of the State Board of Health, to
devise means of applying the oil SO
thoroughly and effectively that the ma
tured insects would be driven away, their
larvae destroyed and their Unmatched ova
steriliZed by single application
Sprinkling was not efficaciouS, as prevl-
Gus experiments had demonstrated. Inc
female mosquito deposits her eggs on the
surface of the water, where they remain
several days, and as they quicken sink
to depth of from four to six inches.
The larvae make frequent excursions TO
the surface to breathe through little
tube near the tail, then return TO their
lower positions and rest on submerged
grass a moment or two when the pro-
ceeding is repeated. To reach them eff
fectually DR.. Doty deemed 1t necessary
to force the oil to the bottom of the pond
and mingle 1t with the grass, roots, and
mud, well as with the water. Enough
oil to prevent the larvae breathing would
rise to the surface. he reasoned, in any
event.
Mr.. Skinner devised raft with a frame
work of light tubing beneath, perforated,
so that a jet of oil under pressure could
be forced downward about two feet at
every six inches. This raft he connected
with a hose attached to an ordinary
wagon oil tank. The first effort to use
the machine convinced Mr.. Skinner that
more pressure than gravity afforded was
required to force the oil jets to the bot
tom of an ordinary pond, and he arranged
to connect with the oil tank a compressed
air reservoir containing air at a pressure
of about eco pounds to the square inch
BY discharging small quantity OF the
air into the oil reservoir at intervals suf-
ficient force was secured.
The raft is dragged to and fro across
the pond by ropes in the hands of labor
ers, sending its jets of oil TO the bottom
in it's passage. The weeds and grass on
the banks are sprayed with ordinary
sprinkiers to ensure sterilization in case
of rise of the water, and also to drive
away the mosquitoes which take refuge
from the hot sunshine in such places.
Dr. Doty has received aid from the
Standard Oil Company, which has con-
Compressed Air Company, which charges
his air cylinders without cost. The
health department of New York City has
provided two policemen of the sanitary
squad to prevent Interference with the
work by property owners and to keep the
curious out of the way of the workmen
All the expenses of the experiment, be-
yond those mentioned, are borne by Dr-
Doty in person.
Dr. Doty says there are two varieties
of mosquitoes on Staten Island. the ordi-
nary Atlantic Coast mosquito, scientlfl-
cally known as CuleX, and the malaria
disseminating pest, scientifically designat-
ed as the anopheles. The common insect
has nearly transparent wings and a sin
gle probocis. with two antennae, or feel
ers. The anopheles has rust bordered
wings, a three-pronged probocis. ana
two antennae. DR.. Doty showed the re-
porter specimen of each under power
elias he. "A
malaria transmitting anopheies rest at
the top of the water instead of beneath
the surface. and lack the breathing tube
of the ordinary variety: They prefer
dark and shaded water, Shiny with decay
ing vegetable and animal matter. They
breed In covered pools and cisterns and
pans of water placed for fowls in shady
places and allowed to become foul.
Last Wednesday DR.. Doty found 4 not
bed of the malarial mosquitoes in an old
house near the Concord ponds he is treat
ing An old cistern was alive with their
larvae Pans placed under trees in the.
ture places for them. and afforded the
only plentiful supply of eggs and larvae
for observation the doctor has yet Sc
cured Within q few hundred yards OF
this house now vacant, four persons are
confined to their beds by malarial all
ments, and many others are under treat
ment.
DIR. Doty has sterilized six pools and
numerous abandoned pools and cisternS
at Concord, and will continue the work
until he has freed the worst breeding
place on the island of the pests or falls In
the attempt.