The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-22
MOSQUITO DESTROYER FOUND.
DR.. Stiles of Hook Worm Fame
Is the Discoverer---He Has
Named the Parasite Ag-
amomIermis Culicis.


Wardell Stiles, of the public health
and marine hospital service, discoverer
of tbe parasite Uncinaria Americana,
generally known as the hook worm, or
s'germ of laziness,'' and whose ad-
dress last December before the Sani-
tary Conference of American Repub-
lies, in which he told Of the effects of
the rayages of the hook worm disease
upon social, industrial and economic
conditions in the Southern States, at
tracted such widespread attention, has
made another discovery in the parasite
world, which is considered by Govern
ment sayants as of the greatest impor-
tance. This is the discovery and isota-
tion of what Dr.. Stiles has named the
Agamomlermis culicis, otherwise
known as the mosquito destroyer, "
a parasite which kills millions OF
mosquitoes each year and which, it is
believed, under artificial propagation,
will prove far superior to any means
now known of ridding infested COM
munities of these pests.
I RThe discovery was not the result OF
accident or of haphazard methods.
Some time ago the officers of the pub
lie health and marine hospital service
conceived the idea that at the present
time, when mosquitoes are being sub
jected to such careful study because
Of the important relations they bear
to public health, especially in connee-
tion with malaria, yellow fever and
diseases of a like nature-the mosquito
having been recognized as carrier OF
fever germs-it was of the greatest in
terest to determine by what parasites
they we're infected.
At the time this determination was
made the health authorities were con-
vinced, although without the backing
of data, that the matter had practl-
cal as well as scientific value, for it
was considered that it would make
possible the elimination of certain
non -pathogenic organisms from the
life cycle of pathogenic organisms,
certain stages of which were already
known to exist in mosquitoes. 1t had
further Practical bearing in that it
was then believed that the parasites OF
mosquitoes might multiply to such an
extent as to become important factors
in their determination.
The experiments by DR.. Stiles,
which followed this decision, have re-
suited in entire success. The parasite
has been discovered and isolated.
The right of the parasite to its COM
mon title of mosquito destroyer has
been established. All that cow re-
mains to be done by DR.. Stiles and
his associates is to discover a repld
and inexpensive manner of propagatins
the parasites in sufficient number for
general use in marshes, ponds and
localities infested with the insects.
The mosquito destroyer" will do the
! rest.
Certain forms of Intestinal parasites
had previously been found in mosquito
larvae in India, Italy and Spain, but
none had been discovered in Ameri-
can mosquitoes until Prof. John B.
Smith, of Rutgers College, forwarded
to Dr.. Stiles for examination two
worms taken from the abdominal
cavity of New jersey mosquitoes.
One specimen was hardly in condi-
tion to be Of use for study, but
| DR.. Stiles determined that both speci-
mems were larval roundworms, be-
longing to the family mermithidae,
either to mermis or paramermis. DR..
Stiles christened the parasite
"agamomermis culicis. !"
The agamomermis culicis is an in
ternal parasite and has its habitat in
the abdominal cavity Of mosquitoes,
Infection taking palce in the larval
or pupal stages of the growth of mos
| quitoes. Mosquitoes infected with the
parasite are sluggish in their move,
ments and do not live long. Female
insects infected do not breed.
The researches which led up to the
discovery of the parasite agamomermis
culicis showed conclusively that what
is generally termed ga bad year fol
mosquitoes is, when the pests
are most Numerous in their usuai
haunts, and even in places where they
are usually few in numbers due to
the existence OF conditions unfavorable
to the nataeal propagation of the
mosquito destroyer Correspond
ingly, in years when the parasite
breeds in large numbers, mosquitoes
are not SO troublesome. Indeed, from
what has already been learned, it is
| 6ppdiSHG 1LEzL, WOIS ~ hOt AOI GulS NcA
tural enemy of the mosquito, the pests
would breed unchecked in such NUM-
bers as to make certain sections of ths
country almost uninhabitable in Ger,
tain periods of the year.
It is admitted by DR.. Stiles ane
other Government scientists that con-
siderably more difficulty will be expert
enced in propagating the mosquito
destroyer IN sufficient numbers fos
general use than was involved in dis,
tributing the parasite of the grass
hopper plague throughout the farm,
ing sections of the West. Although no;
generally known, it is, nevertheless,
fact that the department. of agri-
culture by sending out cultures of this
plague to many points in the Middle
West and Southwest, where formerly
a general blight of all crop from grass
hopper hordes was no uncommon
thing, have practically obviated the
possibility of such calamities.
When the researches with regard to
the newly discovered parasite have pro-
ceeded as far, and the expense Of pro-
pagating the mosquito destroyer
1