The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-06

big outdoor, characteristic breeding place of
the mosquito in the wild, is but a short
distance. In the course of years, owing
largely 70 che abandonment OF a system of
water supply and the building of railway
entertainments, a series of marshes gradu-
ally established itself in the territory OF
Belmont, Cambridge, Arlington and Scmer-
vile; all four lying in the suburban resi-
Dental district of Boston, to which they are
united in various metropolitan enterprises,
particularly parks and sewerage. From the
stagnant water in these marshes-the
fresh pond marshes, as they are called
myriads of mosquitoes were bred, not only
causing general annoyance throughout the
four towns but by the infection of malaria
seriously threatening the public health.
Under "a Massachusetts law, which gives
to the boards OF health authority to abate
such nuiSances, the boards of Belmont and
Cambridge co-operated in building a canal,
half a mile in length, which successfully
drained a considerable area of the land.
The cost was only $1,000. and not only was
the improvement which resulted highly inn
portant from a sanitary point of view, de-
CreaSlng the number or mosquitoes and
| greatly reducing the prevalence of malaria
throughout the neighborhood- but many
acres of meadow and woodland were re-
chi anu Uld0G uSGlul To II community.
Moreover, one of the institute students in
sanitary engineering, following up Mr..
Underwood's work, has shown how the
mere restoration or some abandoned tide
gates may redeem a much larger area.
But besides the fact that it has not been
possible to drain the whole malarial area
1t has happened in Belmont as it may we'll
happen elsewhere that when the marshes
had been drained, an attempt was made to
locate clay pits for the making of bricks on
this reclaimed land. Clay pits, besides being
npSiQhflV have lOnp hapn considered a
menace to public health. Before it was even
suspected that mosquitoes had a part in
the spreading of malaria the chilling and
unwholesome effect of stagnant water was
appreciated and clay pits were condemned
by health authorities as a public nuisance.
Besides being permanent and undrainable
breeding places for mosquitoes, the danger
from clay pits is still further increased by
the brickmaker's camps, which are unsani-
cary IN nearly every respect ana whlch TOO
often furnish germs of malaria for the
mosquitoes 10 carry elsewhere.
A SIMPL PRECAUTION.
A striking example of this fact has been
seen in the State of Rhode Island. where, in
1880, after an immunity of fifty years, ma
laria first made it's appearance among the
workmen employed in brickyards at Bar
rington. Out Of $50 workmen nearly every
one had chills and fever during the year,
and within four years malaria had made it's
appearance in many other towns and cities
in the State. Some municipalities, recogniz-
ing this danger, have bought large tracts Of
land to keep out the brickmakers, but Bel
mont has secured the desired result in a
much simpler way. The Board of Health,
that is. has declared the ~eXcavating of clay
for b~rickmaking a public nuisance and a
menace to health, and has prohibited il in
the limits of Belmont except in accordance
with a written ~permit-before granting
which the board requires a bond sufficient
to secure the proper filling up OF any pits
that may be dug-a requirement which. if
met by the brickmakers, will assure salts
factory sanitary conditions.
of course, to renew stagnant water,
drainage is necessary; but it is equally OBJ
Vious that even with the best system of
drainage there must still be ponds and
sluggish waterways. This brings up the sec
ond point in the methods Of getting rid Of
mosquitoes and malaria, for IL has been
found that in such instances permanent
freedom from mosquitoes may be secured
by introducing certain varieties Of fish
with well-deVelOped appetites for mosquito
larvae-for example, the stickle-back, the
top minnow and the sun fish, the last COM
monty known as the pumpkin seed" That
goldfish also may be utilized for the de-
struction of mosquitoes has been clearly
demonstrated by recent experiments under
taken by Mr. Underwood, although we'll
known entOmOlOgists had sometimes held
TO a contrary opinion.
Near Mr.. U~nderwood's house. which is
situated within a short distance from the
reclaimed territory In Belmont. he has con-
structed a small pond which he has filed
with varieties of water lilies and other
aquatic plants, some Of which are i'm bloom
from the first of May to the first of No
Vember. II is the sort of attractive bit OF
water that almost any suburban house
holder would like TO possess If IL were not
for the mosquitoes, for which. as a matter
of fact. the conditions involved offer an al
most ideal breeding place. But Mr.. Under
wood has been unable to find any larvae at
all in its waters after persistent search. al
though in other stagnant places. not fifty
feet away, he has secured hundreds Of lar
vac, both culex and anOpheles. The lily
pond was stocked solely with goldfish.
which have lived in il for many years. and
the other pools were without fish Of any
kind. The natural presumption was. OF
course. that the goldfish had eaten the
young mosquitoes.
Moreover. when il was publicly stated a
little while ago with some apparent au-
-variety-probably did not eat mosquito lar
vac. Mr.. Underwood put a goldfish I'm an
aquarium together with some Of the ano-
pheles larvae and was able 10 prove be-
yOnd question that. under such conditions
at least, the assertion was untrue. Mr.. I'm
derwOOd's observations are given additional
interest by the photographs he has taken.
"wrigglers." Goldfish viii thrive and null
uply in shallow waters like those common
~ frequented by mosquitoes, even when ice
forms nearly 10 the bottom OF the ponds:
and from every point OF view they seem TO
be particularly desirable in the orderly
streams and ponds Of a park reservation,
where the presence OF the mosquito is a
double ~vexatiOn TO the soul. Indeed. they
are almost ideally a park fish. AT once for
their beauty and the traditions OF their use
I'm old-wOrld gardens. and now for this
special object OF mosquito determination.