Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-07
ALGERIAN MOSQUITOES
FRANCE IL rEhkrs UP. ARMS
AeA1Nsr THEM.
- II nj
A Radical Reform Which Will Rid
Algeria of Swamp Fevers
and Malaria.

ASSAA~ "a S"OAAAP - SsSAS
and Malaria.
Translation fri IN lie temps in Boston Transcript.
The governor general of Algeria is or
ganizing commission to stamp out swamp
fevers in our colony. The plan is infinitely
praiseworthy and opportune, and we shall
succeed If we are wise enough to learn
from the admirable work that has been
carried on in Italy. in Africa, in India,
! in Havana and in Egypt. and If we con-
form to certain fundamental principles
which 1t Is perhaps worth while to recall.
We know-thanks to the mastery re-
searches of Laveran. Ronald Ross, P. Man
son, Cell. Bignami. Bastinelli, Koch and
host of others-that swamp fevers are
propagated. In the vast majority Of cases.
by mosquitoes. whose bite inoculates the
human system with a special parasite If
II Is impossible to have mosquitoes without
swamp fevers. 1T is impossible to have
swamp levers without mosquitoes. Where
ever there is malaria we must therefore
wage war on mosquitoes. without stop
ping 10 distinguish the harmless mosquitoes
from the harmful ones. This is funda-
mental
But by what method? BY avoiding them?
NO; tnough this is what a traveller should
gives excellent results. as the studies car
ried on In the Roman Campagna have
SHOWN. For 1t Is now well known that
10 escape malaria. even in the most mala-
fious country. 1t is sufficient merely to put
up mosquito bars at night The MOSQUITOES
don't NY about in the daytime, they sleep.
IL IS during the night that they bestir them
serves ana bite-that Is. the females, for the
males are harmless. The females make all
the trouble. and this has been clearly
proved al Ostia at Freetown and elsewhere.
6ut 10 dodge mosquitoes by staying in a
mouse provided with screens and MEETINGS
ana 10 deny ones self the privilege of an
evening walk-this is only a makeshift. We
shali not advocate any such program for
Algeria.
Destroy the Mosquito.
In Algeria we shall prefer-as elsewhere,
at Freetown. at Havana or at Ismailta--to
destroy the mosquito. But an objection
comes up at once. 1t is not yet easy to
extermlnate the wolves and deer Of
sparseiy settled country Of any great ex-
tent: what chance of success shall we have
IN an attempt to exterminate a low insect
Which hides all day and only comes out at
nlght! Could we go at the task with any
nope OF succeeding? Yes, assuredly. But
some word of explanation is necessary
In the first place. let us remember that
mere IN Is only one practical way to destroy
the mosquito: 1t Is that which succeeds in
preventing Its reproduction by the sup
preston of all pools Of stagnant water. big
and little. The larva Of the mosquito
Iatches out In the water; no water no
mosquitoes. Hence, to fight swamp fevers
we must suppress the pools of stagaant
water. Under these conditions, it is plain
that II We would get rid of swamp feyers
IN any district we must first set rid of its
ponds, marshes etc. In other words. we
must dry uprthe whole country; and be-
sides, we must abolish certain branches OF
agrlculture-tice growing. for instance.
EVldently, the task is beyond human
strength But-and here is the essential
polnt-there Is nofneed of doing so much
Neither in Algeria nor elsewhere must we
necessarily try to suppress the mosquitoes
smaller undertaking. which will, never
theless, yield excellent results And we
shall accomplish dur purpose if we take
account of two facts which seem to me
especially important.
Don't Stray Far.
The first Isl that mosquitoes are relatively
sedentary, home Keeping creatures. They
make no long Journeys; they move only a
short distance; they live where chance has
placed them, without seeking to run about
In the world. From this we infer that to
achieve the santa ton of a village or a
post 1t suffices to destroy the ponds and
stagnant pools in its immediate neighbour
hood. We need not fear that the mosoui-
toes will pour In from tllefoutlying districts
to replace those which we have killed or
whose birth we have prevented. Nor need
we fear that the mosquitoes will be carried
thither by the wind this kind of invasion
Is rare For when the wind blows the mos
quitoes have only one idea, which is to tax,
refuge near the earth and to hide In the
cracks OF the rocks or in the underbrush
The question comes down to this: Over
how great an area must we destroy the
ponds. and what must be the radius of the
territory upon which we must operate?
TO answer this question If wi he cuff
cient to consider the observa tons made in
Bengal. at Accra. at FreetOwn, at Lagos
and at Blantyre. These show very clearly
that a settlement situated at least 400
meters from ponds Stagnant pools in
variably suffers from mosquitoes At a
distance of 800 or COO meters mosquitoes
are appreciably rare. Finally since at dis
lance of 100 800 meters the MOSQUITOES
are wholly got rid of put in only an in
frequent appearance, this indicates the ex-
tent of the territory in which they are able
to multiply. MN. Stephen and Christophers
have clearly shown US this in a series of
little diagrams representing a number of
villages the nearest swamps the distance
between and the "malarial cOefficient'' Of
the villages. The truth is easily to be seen.
At Freetown the results are uniform; at
800 meters. nothing to fear; moreover at
Freetown again, 1t has been proved that
mosquitoes and malaria exist only in GER
tain quarters; in others they are lacking
altogether. At Ostia also it has been shown
that the distribution of mosquitoes Is quite
local. At Blantyre house forty meters
from a swamp Is infested; another at 200
meters is immune. and the hospital at 400
meters. knows nothing of mosquitoes. At
Accra not a mosquito within 800 meters of
the nearest swamp. And so 1t goes. To
sum 1t all up. the mosquito is sedentary; he
never travels more than 800 meters, on
average, from his native swamp. Out he
can be accidentally carried by the railroad,
| in hay straw; this must not be forgot