Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-21
DISCUSSES The MOSQUITO
OFFICER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
SERVICE GIVES WARNING.
Considers It a Patriotic Duty I'd
Wage Unceasfng Warfare on
the Pests.

DR.. Joseph Goldberger of the public
health and marine hospital service writes
learnedly for the service Of the great ne
cessity for the prevention and destruction
Of mosquitoes. He considers 1t public
and patriotic duty to wage unceasing
warfare on these pests that the annoy
ance and discomfort caused by them may
be diminished and the danger of disease
conveyance reduced to a minimum.
DIR. Goldberger gives the classification
Of mosquitoes, speaking of the marsh
mosquito the Anopheles, or malaria dis
seminating bird. and what he calls the
domestic animals. the Stegomyia calopus,
the ones that prefer their homes close
around human habitations, so that their
feed may cost them as little as possible,
and make unnecessary visits to the mos
quito grocery store. me Stegomyia mos
quito breed their young nearly anywhere
they can find q little stagnant water. It
may be in an old tomato can. piece of
broken crockery. flower pot, bucket, tub,
sagging roof cutters or nearly anywhere
small bit Of water has collected.
Must Have Human Blood.
DR.. Goldberger says that most of the
females of this variety have found it in
"a
animal blood for the full development Of
their eggs. which are deposited in the
receptacles named, and which, in the
course of nine or ten days. become full
tiedged mosquitoes. prepared to follow the
same pursuits as the mothers and fathers.
The proper food OF mosquitoes consists
of vegetable juices. but the preference
for human blood has become mighty
strong with some of the species. 1t is in
biting humanity that the mosquito not
only conveys disease. but fills up on the
blood necessary for propagation.
The mosquito never goes more than half
a mile from his home until blown away
from his own bailiwick by strong winds
Consequently the destruction OF the pests
around a house frequently puts a stop to
the number 81 operative animals.
DR.. Goldberger recommends measures
directed against the larva and pupa of the
insects.
Attacking Breeding Places.
The adult mosquito is pretty hard to
get rid of unless he can be cornered and
put out of business with sulphur or other
preparations, but the breeding places may
be attacked and the young killed before
they have developed. Where mosquitoes
may be confined or where they have
overrun bedrooms, three remedies are Of
fered-sulphur dioxide, caused by burning
sulphur in the air; pyrethrum powder and
phenol-camphor. Sulphur. however. cor
rodes metals. bleaches and rots fabrics.
ETC., and care has to be taken in it's use.
1t may be burned in pots, Pyrethrum
powder is somewhat costly. merely stuns
the mosquitoes, which must be swept up
and burned afterward. The same Is some
what true of phenol-camphor. 1t Is used
more in times Of epidemics, like yellow fe-
YER than pyrethrum.
To kill the young mosquitoes. in their
preliminary stages, plain kerosene oil
must be sprinkled in the stagnant water
of the breeding places. II well covered
with kerosene the young mosquito can
not breathe and Is soon put out OF bust
ness