Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-22
THREE DEATHS HELD DUE
TO MOSQUITO BITES
Pass Away In Highland
Park.
TRACED TO NEW ORLEANS
Peculiar Type Of N1alarial Fever Not
Usually Found in This Section,
Says Chief Health Officer Roy X.
Flanagan.

That mosquitoes were responsible for
the death of Mrs. John a. Skinner. ST..
John y. Skinner. Jr.. and Franklin
Skinner is the belief OF DR.. Roy *.
Flanagan, Chief Health officer of
Richmond. who yesterday gave out the
following statement concerning the
three cases Of pernicious malarial fever
which brought death to three persons
in the same family;
Investigation of cases of pcrnicious
malaria ut 1905 Virginia Avenue. High
land Park. Richmond. and o. homes
in the vicinity:
Frank Skinner, John A. Skinner. Jr..
and Mrs. John ~. Skinner, ST., were all
taken i'll on August 10 with a disease
which examination OF blood specimens
showed to have been malaria. All of
them in n few days became Lomatose
and dcd--Frank Skinner on the 10Th.
Mrs. skinner on the Goth, and John a.
Skinner, Jr., on the 21st. Dr. +. ].
Lord was the attending physician. His
diagnosis was pernicious malarial
fever The Health Department accepts
without question the diagnosis of DIR.
Lord.
'Pcrnicious malarial fever. being n
disease caused by malarial parasite,
not usually found in this section of the
state, it becomes n matter of great i'm
tnat the licaltn department
discover. if possible. how and when it
was imported. The ordinary malarial
mosquito tanophelcs) does bear the
parasite OF pernicious malaria (aestivo-
autumnal parasitc) whenever it has
access to an individual who has this
parasite in his blood. 4 person may
have this organism in his blood and
not he very i'll, and yet infect many
mosquitoes who have access TO him.
There is no history OF any people
having been seriously i'll with inaia-
ria in this neighborhood However,
inquiry reveals the fact that a gentle
weeks ago from New Orleans with ma
laria and was sick for about ten days
He has entirely recovered. If the or
ganism causing the malaria in his case
was the acstivo -autulnnal parasite il is
easy to explain the presence of the
disease in the nciShborhood. The para
site of pcrnicious malarial fever Is
fairly common on the Gulf Coast. as
well as in many other places along
the Southern Atlantic seaboard.
Questioning other homes in the
ncighborhood. the Health officer was
unable to find any record of any other
malaria or of any absences from home
in any district likely to be infected
with aestivo-autunnal malaria
a son or the family, Cary a. Skin
ner. n member of the Blues Battalion.
has been stationed in Danville and
came home on furlough about a
month ago. He has not been sick re-
Gently. however, and can scarcely DC
carrier of the disease. Blood speci-
mems, however, were taken from every
other member of the family to deter
mine IL others are infected.
"All members of the family and
others in the neighborhood were advis-
ed 10 take small doses of quinine as Il
precautionary measure.
(Signed) ROY X. FLANAGAN
Chief Health officer"
Funeral service will be conducted
this afternoon at o'clock from the
residence, 1908 Virginia Avenue, High
land Park. The services for the three
will be held Jointly and burial will be
in Riverview Cemetery. Rev. Philip A.
Arthur. rector of the Church of the
Ascension, will ofiiciate.