Evening star., 1909-09-01
DIVIDING UP THE CASH |OEAOLY FLY IS HERE
District Auditor IWeedae Eggs of Tsese Are Found in
Presents a Plan Roosevelt PeIts.
Hopes TO AID CONGRESS |CAUSE SLEEPING SICKNESS
Compares Spent for Various And Scientists May
Services
BIG INCREASE FOR SCHOOLS MOST DREADED OF PLAQUES
Deplores
Off for HghWaFs-cnan'les tory With Appalling
Cost Large amount This
Eggs of Tsetse Are Found in
Roosevelt PeltS.
CAUSE SLEEPING SICKNESS
And Scientists May Hatch Them
Out, Too,
MOST DREADED OF PLAQUES
Several Might Escape From Labora,
tory With Appalling Results
to This Country.

Does the sleeping sickness, most
dreaded plague of modern times,
threaten Washington?
II is possible that germs of this ter
rible malady which has devastated the
dark continent, claiming it's hundreds of
thousands of victims annually. have
been imported into the National Capt.
tai in the collection Of Roosevelt tro-
phies now being unpacked at the
Smithsonian Institution.
Every precaution is being taken
against this contingency, but the skins
themselves hold the possibility of such
an outbreak.
Employees and officials of the institu-
tion were startled beyond measure
when in unpacking the cases 1t was found
that some of the skins were of the spe-
cies of African rabbit that harbors the
tsetse fly in the most dangerous stage
of its development.
1t would have been possible to disin-
feet the skins at once. but scientific in
terest prevailed over fear of conse-
quences. and it is probable that some
of the eggs Of the dread fly, which are
harbored in the skins in countless num-
bers. will be Matched and the insects
used for experimental purposes
1t is not denied that this is risky and
dangerous business. The experimenters
have in mind the experience of Massa-
chusetts, where the present destruction
being caused by the gypsy and the brown
tailed moths was started through the es-
cape of a few specimens that were being
raised in museum.
1t is not known what attitude the health
office may take toward the experiment of
raising the tsetse fly here. Tt has been
found. however. that the range of the fly
In Africa is much wider than was at first
supposed. and 1t extends south to point
where the winters In the uplands are al
! most as severe as in Washington.
Fly Carries the Germ.
| It is known. through the work of Maj
Ross of the Liverpool School of Tropical
Diseases. that the tsetse fly carries the
| sleeping sickness much as the mosquito
carries yellow fever. 1t was thought for
a long time that the bite of the fly, which
| is a blood-sucking insect, was harmless
to man and fatal only to cattle and
horses. But 1t was afterward discov-
cred that the fly carried the germ of the
sleeping sickness which has recently SO
| greatly extended in Africa and has
played such havoc among the natives 1t
| may be said that the blacks are much
more susceptible to the bite of the ny
than white people. though q few cases
| of sleeping sickness have occurred among
the comparatively scanty white popula-
ton Of both the east and west coasts.
The fly In the course of its develop
| nient lays It's eggs under the hides of
horses and cattle. but these quickly sue
cumb to the bite of the insect and are
! rare in the regions the fly most inhabits
The greatest carrier of the eggs is the
rabbit. ipecanculus rodensius, to give
him his proper name, and it is two speci-
| mems of this species that have been
found in the collection.
There are numerous eggs of the fly
| still clinging to the hairs, and IL is from
these that 1t hoped 10 raise the mature
| flies. 1t so happens that the skins Of
the small animals in the collection were
none Of them packed In brine, but were
merely stretched and dried in the shade,
so that the eggs are In perfect condition
| The aid Of either the marine hospital or
the biological laboratory of the Depart
ment of Agriculture will be sought In
rearing the insects and carrying out eX-
| can be learned. 1T is thought from the
experiments Is whether the disease the
| fly carries Is hereditary and inherent in
the fly itself whether. like the yellow
fever mosquito, II mas 10 Dlte a flcllm or
the sleeping sickness to develop the in
| fection in its body.
Might Escape From Laboratory.
There is one frightful risk about traf-
ticking with the tsetse fy in captivity.
and that is that some of them may escape
| and spread the infection here. AS has
been said, the gypsy moth, which has
caused millions of dollars of damage in
New England, escaped originally from
some that were being reared for labora-
| tory work The same thing might happen
with the tsetse fly, but all possible pre-
cautions will be taken to prevent 1t.
The sleeping sickness is just what it's
name implies, and, while IL is slower thah
ral,ies II is none the less fatal. 1t was
frst noticed among the blacks in the in
tar,or of Africa, and afterward extended
| to the coast. 1t has been the subject OF
sfudy by scientists for several years
past. but while its etiology is pretty Wen
understood. no cure for 1t mas oeen dls,
.i,uormal amount OF sleep in twenty-four
hours. and this Is followed by iassltude
at ali times. longer periods or nncoh-
sciousness and finally collapse ana aeatn.
| When the attentlon amad oi 'to TO ,he dan.
cor OF the spread of sleeping sickness
Srom the skins which Col Theodore
1 Roosevelt and his expedition ha.e sent
J IN the Smithsonian lnStitutloii' thS, q"
m,tted that the situation was such an
unusual one that they could not os say gea, a,
once what they will do. 1t has nor peel
brought to their attention oft1ciaiiy:
"That is tropical disease explained
Acting Health officer Sawtelle. and we
don't know much about 1t mere and
,hey even don't know much about II
down where it is prevalent.
| Special Regulation Needed.
should it be definitely determined thaf
.,era are sleeping sickness germs In the
nelts removed from the T. r. casks. II
was explained by Acting Health Officer
sawteIle, the Commissioners VIII nave 60
enact some special regulation to enable
t.a oa,ciaIs who protect the health or the
community to meet the situation.
This sleeping sickness Is new tnins
n this section of the country In fac.,
The health authorities searched tnIousn !.
their large medical library In the . Dis.iies =
h,iid,nn this afternoon in an enort g
Learn something about the symptoms. now
~ &c snread and what steps are 10 pe
taten to prevent any contagion OF iileu- as,,
.;o,. hut The search was entirely In vaiIa'