Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-02

IL
South Dakota .....-............... 226 900
Tennessee .......... ............... S0l0G0
Texas ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1,620 900
Vermont ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10Ng
Virginia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3Si,0p1
West Virginia ..,.........-.......- 2,501
WISCONSIN ...........t.....s........ 2,JN0.00o
Wyoming ........................... 81, 900
Totals ...,....,.....,........... 7I,5h, 700
The anopheles breeds in our $3.50, 600
acres of swamps and our 100000 acres
of land subject TO periodical overflow.
The deaths caused by their bites number
25o0O0 a year, according to the estimates
of experts
go 900 lives at 5000 each -. 81 ,25o, 900 900
Value of annual crops from
75.000.og0 acres at present
non-productive at low esti
mate of $50 per acre when
reclaimed from swamps 2,250, go, 900
Department of agriculture
estimates that the produc-
ton of 150.00oDD0 acres
would be Increased 20 per
cent by drainage; at an
increase of s. per acre the
the total would be ........ 7Jo, 0e0. coo
Total .........,................ S5250. 900, 900
The United states department of agri-
culture will aid in the war on the mos
quito It has issued two farmers bulle-
tins on the subject. both by Dr. L. O.
Howard-No 444. Remedies and Pre-
ventives Against MOSQUITOES" and No
$50 Some Facts About Malaria"
DR.. Howard says that the best pro-
tective liquid is a compound of one ounce
of oil of citronela, one ounce of spirits
of camphor and half an ounce of oil of
cedar A few drops on q bath towel
hung over the head of the bed will keep
the common house mosquito away and
if they are numerous and persistent, lbs
advises a few drops rubbed on the hands
and face. He gives several receipts for
smudges and fumigants. and says thar
moist soap rubbed on the bites is the
best thing for the purpose he has dis
covered.
But DR.. Howard concludes that the
best protection IS TO destroy the breed
ing places. Even a small amount Of
water will make breeding place for
many mosquitoes" he writes THE
drainage of swamp areas, primarily in
order to improve sanitary conditions
and reduce the scourge of mosquitoes,
needs no argument"
THE gain to the public health that
would result from the drainage and re-
clamation of our great swamp areas"
says Mr.. Perkins, acting president of
the national drainage congress, would
be of equal value as the great gain to
the public wealth No one would ques-
ton the statement that tile saving of
100000 lives annually would be worth the
expenditure of the $3.50 0O0,0e0 or s100o,0 CO.,
600 that would drain and reclaim the
swamps and marshes
yellow fever has been banishcd from
the United States. but malaria still re-
mains and takes its enormous annual toll
in lives. decreased physical and mental
efficiency. retarded agricultural and i'm
dustriai development, and adds TO the
already too rapidly soaring cost Of living.
"In DIR. Towards pamphlet on ma
laria he says that Or. Ronald Ross OF
the Liverpool School of Tropical Medi-
cine first discovered tie relation between
The disease aud mosquitoes about L or IL
years ago. in India, and that his results
were soon confirmed by other workers in
many parts of the world. and his con-
clusion has since been accepted by the
best physicians in all countries. I have
secured my data from DR.. Towards
pamphlet.
Malaria is also known as fever and
que, chiils and fever, marsh fever.
intermittent. remittent and pernieious
fever. 1t is caused by parasites in the
blood. These parasites are Introduced
through the beak of the malaria mos
euitoes, the anopheles The anopheles
carry the parasites from person to per-
son This is the only way malaria can
be contracted. The parasites have not
been found in the water or air of
marshes. nor in decaying vegetation.
nor in the soil The mosquitoes that
breed in marshes and carry the para
sites dc breed in marshes and swamps,
Many newborn babies are bitten and
inoeulated with the parasites.
There are three species of the ano-
pheline mosquito in the United States
the quadrimaculatus, commonly found
in the more Northern states; the cru
clans. more abundant in the Southern
states. especially in the coastal regions.
and the punctipennis, common in both
Northern and Southern states. The
anopheline mosquitoes have more or
less spotted wings and their bodies in
cline away from the wall when at rest
instead OF lying against it. As rule
they bite only after shutdown. They
breed in all sorts of accumulations OF
standing water
The work of Colonel Gorgas in
fighting these disease breeding mos
ouitoes in the canal zone shows that
he appreciates the necessity of destroy
ing the places that breed them. We
hope to benefit by his experience and
advice.
THE drainage of our swamps be-
comes national problem because of
IT'S effect upon the general health. BY
reason of state line complications. and
because drainage operations necessari
~ affect the navigable rivers. it is a
problem that one state alone, or the
cannot solve. 1t is a task
far the national government To under
take. For that reason our organization