The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-07-29
KlL TIE m0SQUIT0.ss
SURGEON GEN. WYMAN GIVES
SOME TIMELY ADVICE.
Says Breeding 81 Mosquitoes Can be
Prevented by Few Simple Pre-

Prevented by Few Simple Pre-
cautions.
The Washington correspondent OF
the News and Courier says: Surgeon
General Wyman, of the public health
aad marine hospital service, is Civ
ing some timely advice in this weeks
bulletin of the service on the sub
ject Of the prevention and destruc-
ton of the mosquito. He considers
this one of the most important mat
tiers that could come before the peo-
Die of the country at this time, and
urgently begs them to heed his ad-
vice.
The habit of the mosquito in feed
ing on the blood Of man and other
animals. the Surgeon General says
the irritating character OF its bite
and the more or less vague suspicion
that it is connected in some way
with the propagation Of disease have
always given the mosquito certain
and economic significance. But the
demonstration of recent years OF the
essential part played By this insect
in the propagation of flariasis, tele-
phantiasis,) malaria, yellow feser
and dengue-disease which annually
cause much human suffering anc
many deaths and, incidentally, an
economic loss appalling to contem-
piate-has given great economic
and sanitary Importance to the
problem of It's determination.
The CHIEF Of the mosquito tribe
and really the bad fellow of the
bunch, is the stegomyia calopus-
the yellow fever breeder-and he is
not only to be avoided but slain
without compunction.
There are other varieties, all OF
them bad, of course, but that just
mentioned is the worst Of all, anc
usually where it is found trouble OF
a serious nature is to be looked for.
The, adult insect may be carried
to considerable distance by winds
but on its own wings it does not Or
6inarily travel outside Of radius OF
half a mile from its breeding place
This means that the destruction OF
all breeding places within this radius
of a habitaticn will practically rid Il
Of all but those mosquitoes wNcf
filter in or are broughtil by the winds
from more or less distant marshes
The 'wiggletail' is the larvae o
the mosquito in TIE pupal stage
They never breed in damp grass
weeds or bushes, as has been popu
larly supposed, but only hide in then
during the day. They delight K
live in old tin cans, bottles and bro
ken crockery, and in the garbage
heap; in buckets, tubs, barrels, c's
terms and wells; in flower pots ;-..e
sagging roof cutters; in street ant
roadside pudd1es; in bitches. cess
pools and sewers. AS long as peo
pie will continue to have these con
venient lodging places near them
just so long will the mosquito b.
found
The mosquito is something Of al
epicure. While it's general food con
sists Of vegetable juices, unfortunate
~ the female in many cases has de
yeloped a taste for human blood
and indeed feed Of human bloot
has become indispensable to some o
these for the full development o
their eggs. After the female ha
obtained her feed of blood she sool
from day or two to a week o.
ten days-seek suitable breeding
place; here she deposits variable
number Of eggs, which, depending
upon the species, either foat separa
tely upon their sides or up-ended ane
adhering together in irregular raft
like masses.
In g. day or two enc may look fol
the "wiggletail." The real work o
determination should then begin i
nothing has previously been done, 70,
the ''wiggletail' developes rapidly
and in a short time the genuine mo
scuito is on hand.
Stripped of all technicalities, Gen
Wyman has made plain just how
every person may exterminate the
mosquito, or at least help to do so
Natural collections Of water which
do or may serve as h~eN';ne places
should be drained. Where clstern'
or tanks are used they should be
provided with covers and they should
be inspected frequently to see, il
wood, that seams are not opened VI
and cracks formed. Cesspools and
vaults should be done away with by
providing dry earth closets or a sew
erage system. But above all, pre-
mises should be kept clean Of OLD
bottles, old buckets and anything
that will hold the next rainfall.
More may be effectively done to make
the home clean and nealthful by this
means than perhaps any other. Then
when old bottles, tubs and buckets
are collected, do not carelessly throw
them over the fence into the next
lot, but have them hauled OF and
see to it that they are burned. In
that way alone will effective work
be DONE" says Gen. Wyman.
"There are many other ways that
an effective crusade may be waged
against the mosquito. but the first
work must begin at home. The
time is now approaching when
every precaution possible should be
taken to see that mosquitoes not
only do not thrive, but are not even
allowed to get into the "wiggletail
stage.
Begin work now" Gen. Wyman
says, 'tand don't stop working =
One BY One They Go.
One of the old superstitions have
to go. The latest one to go down is