El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-01

J.
sons who die annually Of insect
= borne diseases would populate a
city the size of New York. DR.. l. o.
Howard, Of the bureau Of entomology
of the department of agriculture. de-
cIares it his belief that malaria alone
costs the United States annually $780,
OOO,OO He estimates that the dam
ages inflicted by all disease carrying
insects amounts to enough to support
the American army and navy. 1t Is
only in comparatively recent years
that the full truth has been learned
Of the part played bX insects in the
propagation Of disease. For great
many years it has been known that
the bite Of the Tsete fly in Africa
was fatal to horses, and more recently
IL was learned that the human Tsete
fly was responsible for the dreaded
disease known as sleeping Sickness
but until the proof was forthcoming
that malaria and yellow fever We're
caused by mosquito bites, even the
scientific world never guessed now
wide Of the truth were all former con-
ceptiOns of the causauon OF various
epidemic diseases.
Mice Are Dangerous.
It is true that even in the days OK
Samuel, the prophet men looked upon
a plague of mice as dangerous thlHE'
and offered up golden images OF ln5Ht
to their gods in order that they lnlSht
be rid of them. 1t Is also true IAal
In China the natives always observer
that an epidemic OF eplzOOuc dlAon5
the rats was followed Dy one OF ~
bOnic plague among the people re-
quently whole communities were ue
serted by their inhabitants because OF
their great fear Of bubOnic plague.
Sleeping sickness can occur only
There must be water, crOcodlles anu
trees. The Tsete fly spends much OF
its life on the backs Of croeOdlles anu
cannot propagate its species without
the presence Of the crocodile II is
estimated that there are 10000 deaths
a year in Africa from the sleeping
sickness.
While the house fly is not cailiet
If q snecific Infection as is the flea in
bubonic plague or the mosquito n
yellow fever, malaria and dengue' IL
is a carrier Of all sorts OF lnLecILoH
because Of its nOn-dlscrlmlnauH5 -
Detfte 1t has been pronounced tuS
most dangerous animal known the -
sertiOn being made that more ueq- -.
are caused by fl than Dy any oeLC-
animal or insect in the Woflu- ~
7a+fon-v-ide crusade that mas DeSu
carried on for the abatement OF me
flv nuisance has borne much LIuLL q - ~
seems to be gathering eILecll y 49, 5s -
II goes. Prize essays VIII pc WILll sI-1
tbis winter In the public ana par SlLl-e-
scbooIs throughout the United STATES
as to the habits Of the ny anu
for its abolition J,ss1
typhoid fever germs nays J
found to live five day0 on the ugal,
t.-- 80 feet of a fly, and nine DAYS
in its alfmentary tract lL mas 49,
estimated after careful lnN5s tl5e n -
of water front conditions III &c" -
tba+ tbe abolition Of the ny "ouL5
Crs-teD+h as many deaths IN -AdLl -.
fan alone. The commission 80
the investigation made map " - -
haitian island, and TINS sllo NV +ricIC
es+ +vDhOfd fever and dySehleLy Sc--
we're most numerous NAM PIc-17-a
v--11 recall the famous moltVn - 7-t
nv films which we're eNnlplteG 80
- tIrouehOut the country. "A -
~ Indiana forbade the eNnlDlI1oA -. -
+Lis film mon the ground ln5L IL ~
too disgusting to be presented All ~
rho worse insect-borne disease win
which the world has to deal is Du 1 --l-sf
nlague Since 1894 II has become a.
is known as 'pandenllc, ne r. -+aT+ad
exists throughout the WOIIu- ~ 49,
in China and now exists on every -
tinent and in 50 dittereAt COuL --tI1 -
There are apprONlHaleI4 $50 II
deaths a year from TINS ON b9a long
India. How to overcome ~ - 1-S -J7
baen a problem, and the tounda IONS "
q successful campaign against IL "9-0
laid only in 1888, D,-.
In thar wear a laboratory eApeI
named Yersen discovered lla. - Il,
germ which caused eplZOoJc III Lat9S w.
IN same as that which caused DuoolllC
49, IN, the human races. Later the
british government startled og tl-o
widespread prevalence or tle $780,
in india appointed q commission AIlu I" .
as the Indian plague COMMISSION, anu
-7-o,-f5ad n with funds for an eNnaus-
tive investigation OF the "hoIe met -
This commission, working VIII 80
public health and marine nosplleeA -
vice of the United states mas uellll--
sfrated beyond all question Jlal lne
flea is the medium through "u-CA -
homie plague Is spread Inc Only We
animal host a single flea, IN 1ILlns an
Injected rat, may swallow 1000 ou-
bonnie plague germs ..zi-.-
san Francisco had a long ana JeQlIs
fight against bubOnic plague. the Iisnt
taking the form OF cLGsaue esS- -i-Sl
the rat The public health ana mar me
hosnital service Of the united SLaLeS
+oL<tx charge of the campaign, and rats
sTd Ground SQUIRRELS by the hundreds
OF thousands have been killed me Du-
homie plague flea Is wei equipped LuL
its work Of transmitting the disease.
II will live for long PERIODS on next
10 nothing When it bites II has a per
feet little surgeons blade with Whlc1
to make the inclslon ana paLL u
saws with when 10 W4utA me W INC
Then 1t possesses q sort or syringe
with which It pumps a supply or san
va into the incisiOn after when Il
brings a little pump into play and
draws blood from the cut
DISCRIMINATING Rats.
One Of the principal efforts OF those
who combat the bubOnic plague is TO
eXterminate the rat from the shlps OF
the world. especially those coming
from infected ports. Practically an
countries are enlisted in this effort
and the matter has been the subject
of an international agreement among
Tho leading nations After prolonged
fight against the rat in San Francisco
surgeon Hobby Of the public health
and marine hospital service declared
that the chances are that the skipper
Of Noah's ark started his voyage with
more rats than his manifest showed
He believed that the rats Of today may
have inherited their wanderlust from
their forbears on the ark and that this
may account for the fact that they are
the most widely travelled OF all AMI
mails He says he has seen a rat gar
lop with every appearance OF enjoy
ment along a cable from church
steeple to the second story OF hoIe-
across the street and that they are
so able to adapt themselves to any sit
,,o4fo~ +baf +hav- have heeu found in