The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-09-01

Editor of The Times Dispatch
Sir.Iu 1u4r issue 20 August i7tn i- an
Interesting Dnmcuun cation from Tr Levy.
ant ALSO a brief editorial. Oh rue Mos
quito Pest
I'm The latter ynl say that bv Levy
Says tine river is not responsible for Thee
mosquito pest in Richmond"
AS I1r Levy docs NOT make tht~ a--
ecrt.rn iI $50 many words. 10 is mani
fcst that f i- an Inference drawn hr
vou from the statement 81 Dr L"t1 tntt
Where neiehhnrhood is iufest't with
mosquitoes il Nlu always be- fDuud. $50
f4r u.s. Richmond is concerned trat re
breeding place r. close ~ hand % state
mont which hy no means relieves TIE NV
or ~ its responsibility
In ORDER that . may he seen that 80
least. am tn a position where ! ought
Dob know something about the breeding
places ~ mosquitoes. beg leave 10
state that. as local counsel for one ~
the railroad companies in this state. I
have FOR the last ten years h1d 20 de
fruI % dozen or more suits brought at
different times within that period against
tne company IN Two of tn Piedmont
counties the grounds 81 complaint bee
ing that 10 had negl gently allowed stag
uaut water To remain on It, PROMISES.
whereby malaria vas caused t0 the peo-
ple II the neighnorhood. and Of late years.
~ having become tie general opinion II
medical experts that. other than Foiun
tarv fnoculatiou. the sole known method
hv which malaria D. communicated To- the
human system is by means Of the hlte
or "a certain kind OF mosquito. inocu-
lated with the malarial parasite. 10 be-
came necessary for counsel 20 be inform
ed 90 the Supje {. especially as 20 the
breeding places of the malaria bearing
mosquito Hence. 7 have ~nte1vore 10
gain t..is information from learned medi-
cal experts examined as witnesses. from
biologists and other written authorities.
and from personal observation Tn many
or the cases referred 10 I nave visited ana
inspected the premises and pools alleged
% have produced the malaria. or afford
ei the breeding places ~ The mosquito.
IN company with distinguished medical
experts-among them Dr. J Allison
Hodges ana Dr. g. W p. Brock Dr.
Ievy's statement IS in entire accord. in
AN respects. with tho most enlightened
opinion on the subject. so far as my
knowledge extends. but he by no means
acquits James River Of responsibility
Ali authorities. including Dr Levy. and
ah intelligent men who have made a
study of the matter. agree that the breed
ing places OF mosquitoes are stagnaDt
pools Of water with temperature pre-
ferahly above sixty degrees Fahrenheit
. uese pools may be in marshes. in rain
barrels in the hollows OF trees ia ex-
cavations for buildings IN puddIes OF
water ia a road ia fine. any staenant
pool ~ water OF sufficient temperature
which retains the water long enough
for the mosquito 10 breed about eight
days from the time the female deposits
the egg to the ma1irity Of the insect
During the period OF ten years / have
mentioned. and particularly since the
Chesapeake and Ohio viaduct has been In
use my attention has been attracted 10
tho pnplS of water of the character in
dlcatcd. IN the bed of the river below the
dam Of the power-house OF the Virginia
Passenger and Power Company. In the
course of ages the water has worn a
multitude OF holes. or basins. in the
rocks en- this bed OF the river. which in
high water are filled. and which. when
the normal volume of water is flowing, OF
when the river Ia low. are Isolated and
having no outlet retain their stagnant