The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-02-22
MOSQUITOES AND FEVER
Significant "Yellow Jack" Tests
Made Near Havana.
SOME DANGEROUS RISKS TAKEN

Dy mOsquitOes-A question Wheth-
or This Means Of Contagion Is the
Only One-FemaIe Insect the Mis-
chief Maker - verifcation CT De-
tails.
Between the still incomplete sanitary
conditions of Havana, the exasperating
and distinctly useless delay in the sew
ering and paving matter, the bacillus
icteroides Of Sanarelli, and plain every
day mosquito. 1t looks like long life
and a merry one for the yellow fever
germ In the city Of Havana.
But ell Senior Mosquito is Just now re-
ceiving some very close and interesting
attention, writes Albert G. Robinson,
the New York Posts Havana CORE
spondent. Perhaps 1t would be more
accurate to say la Sonora Mosquito.
as it is said to be madame who is the
mischief maker. Under the auspices
Of Drs. Finlay, Reed. Stark and others,
q series of profoundly interesting and
important experiments are In operation
on the outskirts Of Havana. Men have
been found who are willing to risk
comfort and life In the 'furtherance of
these Investigations. One group Is
domiciled i'm room which Is kept in
the best of clean and wholesome con-
ditions. These allow themselves to be
bitten by mosquitoes that are practical
~ known to be in the special condition
requisite for incubation. They are
known to have drawn the blood Of pa
tients i'll with unquestionable cases of
yellow fever. The other group Is held
under the most insanitary of condi-
tions, in contact with clothes and he'd
ding which have been used by known
cases of fever.
The latter group has persisted In re
tanning state of sound health. De-
duced argument-yellow fever Is not
contagious, Is not a result of insanita-
ry conditions and is not communicated
through the medium of clothes, bed.
ding or other attendants upon yellow
fever sickrooms. The other group-that
Of the mosquito inoculation-has de-
veloped In all of it's members an illness
asserted to be yellow fever. Deduced
argument-yellow fever Is only COM
municable through the medium Of fe-
male mosquitoes Of certain species and
under certain conditions.
1t is beyond doubt or question that
these experiments are Of great impor
lance and that the result Is significant
II not determinate. The gentlemen
conducting the experiments are, with
ample reason, most highly gratified
with the results attained, though pos
sibly unduly sanguine, regarding the
definiteness of their conclusions. With
out desiring to detract in any way from
the remarkable work and It's seeming
ly remarkable success. 1t Is to be noted
that there Is a lack of completeness
about the tests. 1t may now be regard
ed as well determined that the mosqui-
to can and does convey yellow fever
A doubt still remains as to its being the
only medium Of communication.
The theory that 1t Is the only medi-
um finds contradiction In various facts
which are known In the history of the
disease. For instance, several nonim-
mune nurses In the principal fever hos
pital here Qas Animas) have escaped
the disease. though it Is a fair pre-
sumption that they must have been
mosquito bitten during their expert
ence. One Of these nurses left the hos
pital to nurse case In an infected
house, took the disease there and died.
In this connection it is to be noted that
the subjects who were exposed to con-
tagion from clothing, bedding, etc.,
were in building which was not in
fected
1t is the contention of many COM
petent authorities who concede the
mosquito as a medium that infected
premises are also a medium, though
and generally insanitary con-
ditions are not necessarily So A more
acceptable determinat.Gl might be OBJ
tanned by the exposure Of nonimmune
subjects to similar insanitary condi-
lions in some house known to be in
fected from which mosquitoes were alb
solutely excluded.
A more definite determination Of the
force of the mosquito theory might
also be attained by the transportation
Of properly loaded mosquitoes to some
where yellow fever from any
other source was q manifest impossi-
bility, and there allowing them access
to proper subjects. There are a num-
Der of objections to Havana as point
for the unquestionable determination
Of the matter. While the findings Of
even these recent tests are still to be
regarded as somewhat negative rather
than absolutely positive II Is not to
be questioned that results of immeasur-
able value have been obtained. The
work has the fullest support Of the
authorities and medical officials. and
will be continued. The reliance placed
upon these experiments by the local
authorities Is indicated by the issu-
ance Of the following order:
"The chief surgeon OF the department
having reported that II IL now well
that malaria. yellow fever,
and filarial infection are transmitted By
the bites of mosquitoes. the following
precautions will. upon his rccommen-
1ation. be taken for the protection Of
The troops against the bites of these In