The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-07-31
KnL TII.!E MOSQUITO.
SURGEON GEN. WYalAN GIVES
sos1E TIMELY ADVICE.
Says Breeding ofslEesquitoes Cam, be
Prevented By ., Few Simple. Pre-

Says Breeding of.M1squitoes Cam, be
Prevented By q Few Simple Pre-
ca1tions.
The Washington correspondent Of
the News and Courier says: Surgeon
General Wyman. Of the public health
and 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
ters that could come before the peo-
pie 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 filariasis, (ele-
phantiasis,) malaria, yellow feVer
and dengue-diseases which annually,
cause much human suffering and
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 ne 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, and
usually where it is found trouble of
. a serious nature is to be looked for.
The adult insect may be carried
60 considerable distance BY winds,
but on its own wings 1t does not Or
dinarily travel outside OF radins OF
half 8 mile from its breeding place.
This means that the destruction of
all breeding places within this radius
of q habitation will practically rid 1t
OF all but those mosquitoes which
filter in or are broughtin by the winds
from more or less distant marshes.
The 'wiggietail" is the larvae Of
the mosquito in the pupal stage.
They never breed in damp grass.
weeds or bushes. as has been popu-
larly supposed. but only hide in them
during the day. They delight to
live in old tin cans, bottles and bro
ken crockery. and in the garbage
heap; in buckets. tubs, barrels, cis-
terms and wells; in flower pots and
sagging roof cutters; in street and
roadside ,puddles;' in bitches, cess
pools and sewers. AS long as, peo-
ple will continue to have these con-
venient lodging places near them.
Just so long will the mosquito be
found. 5r
The mosquito is something Of an
epicure. While its general food con-
sists OF vegetable juices. unfortunate
ly the female in many cases has de-
veloped q taste for human blood,
and indeed a feed Of human blood
has become indispensable to some OF
these for the full Development Of
their eggs. After the female has
obtained her feed Of blood she soon
from a day or two to a week or
ten days-seek suitable breeding
place; here she deposits a, variable
number of eggs, which. depending
upon the species. either 6oat separa-
teIy upon their sides or up-ended and
adhering together in irregular rafe-
like masses. ,.
In day or two one may look sor
the "wiygletail." The real work OF
EXTERN, ,lation should then begin II
nothing has previously been done. for
the ..wiggletail" developes rapidly
and In a short time the genuine mo-
sau;to Is on hand.
Stripped Of all technicalities. Cen.
Wyman has made plain just how
every person may exterminate the
mosquito. or at least help to do so.
Natural collections Of water winch
do or may serve as breeding places
should be drained. Where cisterns
or tanks are used they should be
proy;ded with covers and they should
be inspected frequently to see, IL
wood, that seams are not opened up
and cracks formed. Gesspools and
vaults should be done away with by
providing dry earth closets or sew
erage system. But above all. pre-
mises should be kept clean or OLD
bottles, old buckets and anything
that will hold the next rainfall.
More may be effectively done to make
the home clean and healthful by this
means than perhaps any other. Then
when old bottles. tubs and buckets
are collected. do not carelessly thro"
them over the fence into the next
lot. but have them hauled Off 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
q, effective crusade may be waged