The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-15

Ussued by the special COMMITTEES APP
pointed by the Florida Medical Asso-
citation for the control and prevention
OF Malaria.)
The prevention Of malaria depends
for its success more on the individual
than does the prevention OF almost any
other disease, 1t is within the power
or any man, woman or child, regard
less of how much malaria there is in
their community, or Of the actions %
their neighbors. TO keep from being
bitten by anopheles and thus becoming
infected with malaria Individual ef-
forts toward malarial prevention should
consist i'm the destruction of all mos
quitoes within the home the sleeping
under mosquito canopies, the screening
of the home and the taking OF quinine
at regular intervals.
Even the children Of a household can
engage In a morning hunt for the mos
quito within the home and by looking
closely in the closets and dark room
corners many of the insects Will be
found and can be destroyed. Any par
ent would be we'll repaid for stimu-
lating an interest among his children
in this method OF mosquito destruction,
by the giving of a weekly prize TO tho
youngster having the biggest catch at
each week end Sulphur and other in
secticides may be burned in a house,
the mosquitoes gathered up with a
broom and destroyed. The use Of GER
tain oils such as citronella Will give a
certain amount OF protection against
the bites Of the insect but their use Is
not very satisfactory.
Probably the most important indt-
vidual aid toward the prevention Of
malaria is the use of efficient screen
ing Have your windows doors and
n -.
that the greatest curse is imperfect
screening. There Is nothing more dan
gerous than fancied protection, a pro-
lection in which you feel secure, but
as a matter OF fact is imperfect The
size Of the mesh to he used In an i'm
portant consideration, nothing larger
than eighteen to the inch is a safe
screen in q malarial country. Windows
should be screened their entire length,
in a manner that the raising or lower
ing OF window does not interfere with
or necessitate the removal OF the
screen. A simple and efficient manner
to screen windows Is to tack the
screening on the window casing, COW
ering the edges OF the wire with a
narrow moulding. All doors should be
well screened and care maintained in
keeping them closed. All fireplaces and
chimney holes not in use should be
stopped up: in fact, there must not be
an opening Of any description within
the house opening to the outside, that
is not either screened or closed up.
The screening OF the verandah Is
very important point. II is not uncom-
mon to see q perfectly screened home
insofar as doors and windows are con-
cerned, but the good work all spoiled
by the family sitting during hot sum
mer evening on the verandah with no
protection against the malarial in
vader
Again, 1t matters not how well tho
home may be screened, IL is probable
that some mosquitoes will find their
way in. on this account no person Is
absolutely safe from malaria, in ma
larial country. who does not sleep un-
der a mosquito canopy. It should also
be remembered that the insects can
bite through the netting II any portion
Of the body is in contact with the net.
The net should therefore be large
enough to insure against such an acci-
dent All these little points may seem
trivial. but Il is the lack OF observing
them that is the cause of many case
of malaria among families who honest
ly think they are taking every precau-,
ton against the infection, and gives
the skeptic ground for scorning the
precautions taken by his neighbors IN
their efforts 10 avoid the disease.
ITO be continued)