Evening star., 1941-04-01
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

III IlIldl IuGIlleSS UlllLhIlCs oilc VI
the most dangerous invaders the New
World ever has known apparently has
been elininated-at a cost of more than
100000
The invader was the Gambia mosquito,
carrier of a virulent and death-dealing
form OF malaria 1t is native of West
Africa. 1t was first discovered in 1880
at Natal in the Rio Grande do Norte
Province of Brazil-apparently brought
by one or the fast French deStroyers
which were then serving the French air.
line between Dakar and South America.
AS soon as the insect was detected
the Brazilian government tried to elimi-
nate it. This seemed at first hopeless
battle, as the mosquito spread and the
death list mounted Gradually man
gained the upper hand and the Gambia
was pushed back bit by bit from the
territory it had occupied. Only at the
beginning of last year did final victory
appear in sight in a war in which more
than 1000 doctors, technicianS, scouts,
nurses and laborers had been enlisted.
The mosquito had been driven back
to its central strongholds in the main
river valleys and on the narrow coastal
shelf of Northeastern Brazilian area of
about $4,000 square miles. Around this
area last year line of fumigation posts
was erected to prevent the insect from
breaking through into new territory and
a concerted advance was started to
narrow still further its domain. The
weapons were paris green to destroy
the potential breeding places and spray
insecticides for fumigation of all build
ings.
The Brazilian government and the
Rockefeller Foundation, were co-operat-
ing. The campaign, says the Rookie
feller reports, has had dramatic re-
suits. During the critical wet season the
Gambia were pushed back on all sides
BY the beginning of the dry season 1t
has been practically restricted to the
lower Jaguaribe Valley. This made pos
sible the concentration in this area of a
large number of workers for the final
onslaught beginning in July. 1t now can
be reported, say the Rockefeller workers.
that no larvae or adults Of the mosquito
have been found in the lower Jaguaribe
Valley since the first week in September.
A small additional focus lying some
so klometers beyond the known in
tested area was discovered in October
but 1t yielded readily to attack and
! was apparently clear by the middle OF
| November. No evidence of the Gambia
| in Brazil was found during the last
Al days of 1910.
The final cleanup, it is expected,
| will come this year. During the past
few months more than 100000 mosquito
| larvae have been studied in the labora-
| tory but no sign of the dreaded infec-
tion has been found. Many of these
were from localities where no control
measures have been applied for sew
| eral years.
| There can be no absolute security,
Rockefeller Foundation physicians say,
until it Is certain that the last female
| Gambia on this side of the Atlantic
| has been killed. 1t is suspected that
a few remain alive and that small,
isolated areas of infection will continue
to appear Each of these will be "mopped
up" as soon as it is reported.
| A microorganism which for half a
century has been considered the germ
of dandruff finally has been absolved
by the United States Public Health
Service.
1t is wild yeast-like fungus, the
spore of Molassez. 1t is found on nearly
all scalps and often on other skin sur
faces. II has been recovered from
dandruff scales which reveal no other
germs and has appeared to grow espe-
cially well in the presence of these scales.
The assumption that 1t was the cause
of one of the most widespread Of human
diseases was natural and has been al
most universally accepted by medicine.
Sometimes the bottle-shaped microscopic
| plant has also been credited with caus-
Ing the refractory skin disease, psoriasis.
| In the past, however, all attempts tc
grow the organism apart from the
human skin have failed. Either the
proper nutrient solution could not be
provided or the growth was smothered
quickly by the growth of other fungi
and bacili. BY special technique,
however, DR.. c.. w. Emmons OF the
Public Health Service staff has beer
able to cultivate the germ freely in
nutrient solution and identify 1t posi-
lively with the fungus found on scalps
But it doesn't cause dandruf. 1t was
rubbed vigorously time after time into
the scalps of persons who already had
the disease, and hence might be sup
posed to have all the predisposing con-
ditions without causing the slightest in
crease in the scales. On persons free
of dandruff there was no effect whatso-
ever.
This leaves the cause Of the malady
still unknown. Either there Is some
organism not yet isolated, or dandrufi
Is not due to q parasite Of any kind
Pleads for Sanctuary
For Enemy Of Dictators.
To the Editor Of The Star: