The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-08-03

these uouSeHOluS were dHllcteu. All
of the discriminating mattresses were
traced to four leading mattress max
ers. 1t was found that all had OBJ
tanned their straw from dealer in
Salem County, N. J. Part of the
straw came from New Jersey and
part from Southern Indiana.
A mattress was opened and the
straw sifted through the meshes OF
fine -four sieve upon large Iiece of
plate glass covered with white paper.
The siftings were closely scrutinized
under strong electric illumination. A
slight motion was soon detected. The
culprit was on the point of being dis
covered, apparently. The moving par
ticles were touched with needle
moistened in glycerine and trans
ferred TO glass slide. Then the mi
croscope was applied, and the parti-
cles were discovered to be mites or
exceedingly minute size.
Several other experiments were
then undertaken. Dr. Goldberger ex-
posed his barred left arm and shoulder
for one hour between two mattresses.
Sixteen hours after this application
of vivisection to a human being those
portions of his body which had been
exposed began TO break out after the
manner of those who had been suf-
fering from the ailment. Then three
volunteers slept upon the mattresses,
and each one developed the same
symptoms at the end of about the
same period DR.. Goldberger took
some of the straw siftngs and placed
them in two clean glass dishes. One
of the body for an hour. Sixteen or
seventeen hours later the eruptions
appeared ON the area covered by the
dish. The contents of the other dish
were exposed to chloroform under a
bell jar. These siftings we're ap-
piled to another portion of the body
of the volunteer who had already
submitted himself to the influence of
the contents of the first dish No
LESSONS appeared at this point What
ever was responsible fer the eruptions
evidently was affected by chloroform.
AS last experiment five of the
mites were fished out of the siftings
and placed upon clean watch cry
stall This was applied to the armpit
of another volunteer At the end Of
about sixteen hours five of the char
acteristic LESSONS appeared on the area
which had been covered by the crys-
tai
Many Regions Afflicted.
The miscreant had been discovered,
but the reasons for his attack on hui
man beings were still unknown. This
part of the web Mr.. Webster UNDER
took to unravel. The fact that
similar but less extensive epidemic
had been noted in Baltimore and that
farmers in different regions reported
like disease after running their
wheat through a tanning mill addeu
interest to the search into the life
history of this predatory creature. In
the course of the summer of 1908, al
so, great number of complaints
came from the more elevated parts of
Virginia, the upper Shenandoah VAL
ley and West Virginia, and from East
ern Ohio as long ago as 1904.
The disease appeared among those
engaged in thrashing grain which
had been stored for some time In
barns, and those who used this straw
for filing bed ticks or as a substitute
for felting under carpets were like
wise afflicted. In one case berry pick
ers were attacked where such straw
had been used as a mulch for berry
plants. This straw, it was found, came
from field which had suffered Sc
verely from an attack of the grain
pest called the joint worm. In one
instance six men and the animals
employed in connection with the un-
loading of car of straw at Pittsburg
we're attacked by the same disorder.
The infection has sometimes scared
laborers so much that they have re-
fused to work where it has appeared,
and it has become impossible to OBJ
tain labor.
1t has been found by many expert
ments and much microscopical exami-
nation that this mite is lacking in
discriminating sense, so far as food
is concerned. 1t prefers the juicy bod
les of the larvae of the Angoumois
grain moth in the East and the joint
worm in the wheat straw of the Mid
die West. One of the mites will get
inside the straw beside one of the
larvae of these insects and will in
crease rapidly in numbers, to the
roint where it and its descendants
kill the larva and any other parasite
which may have entered to sup at
the expense of the host. When all the
living things in the cell in the straw
have been destroyed these predaceous
mites rest from their labors, and, like
Micawber wait for something to turn
up They do not grow less hungry
with waiting, and when that some
thing turns up, whether It be animal
or man, the colonies pour forth from
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