Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-08

Washington, Dec. Don't use all
your energy in swatting the fly; save
a considerable amount foN smashing
the Cimex lectularius.
Cimex, as Assistant Surgeon Gen
eral Rucker, of the public health SER
vice, knows him, is the plain bed -bug.
He may be plain and all that, but he
plays no favorites when it comes to
visiting. Dr. Rucker says he is equal
ly at home with the rich and the poor
and his distribution even III house
holds where seemingly every precau-
ton is exercised to prevent his en-
trance, is surprisingly widespread.
Cimex is a dangerous enemy to pub
lie health. Like the mosquito, they
carry disease germs. DIR. Rucker earn
cstly advocates popular campaign to
eradicate the pest.
In way the general antipathy for
this insect is valuable thing" he
said. If the housewife would extend
1t to include the fly as well, our ma
ton would make long stride forward
toward the goal of health. 1t is only
fair, however, to state that bed bugs
are not a disgrace. They arc, how
ever. positive danger Their presence
in the house may mean merely acct
dental Introduction. Their continu-
ance in the house means a disregard
for health.
This bug, which has been the bette
noir of all good housewives since time
immemorial is one of the Oldest as
sociates of man: in fact It is not at all
improbable that when our arborea
forebcars forsook tree tops for caves
they took this little six legged pest
with them This seems the more likely
beca use the English sparrow and the
swallow harbor very similar species.
A Continuous Traveller.
I'm all his peregrinations around the
earth man has carried the bed bug
with him. It's occurrence in ships is
notorious. and it seems to regard neah-
er heat nor cold. Ever since the. days
of the Roman galleys the bug has
been ubiquitous and continuous trav-
eler. Certainly this parasite. of which
there are several varieties, is even to-
day a frequent accompaniment of
travel, and is not infrequently intro
duced into the home of man in lug
gage. Furthermore, this insect under
takes pilgrimages from one house to
another, and may make its residence
in one place, going to another daily
In search of food
According to DR.. Rucker, Cimex was
originally winged pest, but became
too lazy, and now, after centuries Of
evolution. has only rudimentary scales
in the place of wings. The biting
apparatus is elaborate. Selecting a
likely spot, the bug anchors itself with
a couple of hooks called mandibles,
and then inserts the maxillae, which
are shaped like two cutters, the con-
cave surfaces of which look toward
each other. and when placed together
form a tube. This Is used to extract
blood from the victim and also for the
purpose Of putting saliva into the
wound. 1t Is in this way that the bed
bug may inject the organisms of dis
ease
THE bed bug is canny insect" DR.
Rucker declared. 1T IL not particu-
larly active In winter, sometimes going
into bibernation. Normally It feeds up
on human blood. but lacking this it
I. will live upon decaying wood or the
dust in floors cracks. 1t il nocturnal in
it, habits and during the day remains
hidden away In some dark place. It
- particularly active in its search for
food. 70 illustrate this may be quoted