Evening star., 1939-08-06
An Epidemic
OF Fieos

was sweeping several sec
An Epidemic tions of the country
OF fIeos Washin ton did not
escape, as will be noted
from the following description in The
Star of August 6, 1885, of the invasion
by veritable grand army of 'pulex ir-
ritans" Of the National Capital:
"'An insect of the genus pulex. 1t has
two eyes and six feet; the feelers are
secateous and armed with sting That
is all the description Webster gives of
that amusing and interesting fragment
Of agile muscularity and viciousness
commonly denominated the flea.
IF Webster were only alive and a
resident in this city he would add several
lines of interesting description as to the
voracity and general 'cussedness' of this
member of the puleX irritans family. AS
a rule the Nations Capital is not afflicted
by those waves of disturbance-atmo-
spheric or otherwise-which roll across
large tracts of the United States, but the
rule has evidently been suspended to
allow the exception to get in its work,
and the result is a tortured community.
For two or three weeks past sounds
of wailing from far off cities have
reached here and stories of the flea
plague always accompanied the means.
Now Washington knows how it is itself,
for the flea plague has come; not feebly,
not with any announcement In advance
Without word of warning 1t swooped
down and took possession Of the city
and now every fifth person you meet is
either scratching himself or herself or
else wishing that there was given an
opportunity to scratch where the public
eye could not look scornfully on while
seeking that lowbred but highly salts
factory form OF relief. There is an idea
abroad to the effect that f1eas have their
origin in dirt. This is said to be errone-
Gus, but no one knows just where they
do come from. 1t is almost an historic
fact that when they do come they CEN
tralize on dogs and cats and from thence
distribute themselves over the anatomy
of as many human beings as can be
reached. And when it is remembered
that flea can jump and frequently does
jump more than 120 times its own length,
who can hope to escape? Where the
millions of pulex irritans came from,
why they came and the route by which
they travel are comparatively unimpor-
tant matters when brought face to face
with the solidly founded truth that they
are here.
1T is flea year, just as there have
been grasshopper years, potato bug years,
years of famine and years of plenty;
there is no other explanation
Thousands of good, clean people, who
had only heard Of the flea hitherto,
have been worried almost to the verge
of desperation by the troublous antics
of the invader. He entered their homes
surreptitiously and ensconced himself
Cmale and female) in some dark corner,
where he established headquarters.
Then the male flea went forth to seek
victims, while the female stayed at home
to lay myriads of little white, glutinous
In II days the wriggling nuisances. un-
less their term of existence is shortened
by poison, are closed up in cocoon,
where they are educated for the MUIR
derous career pursued by their kind. For
II days more they are instructed in their
duties, and then they break the shell
and sally forth to battle for themselves.
"One of the easiest methods of finding
the f1eas which have made their home
with you is to walk barefooted across
the floor some time during the night.
That experiment invariably results in
dotting your ankles with at least
dozen of the lively ones, and if you are
real smart you may catch one of them.
They are visible in daytime in good
many homes and when this is possible
the af1iiction is at its worst. A house
may b heale1s Ia the evening and the