ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., NOVEMBER, 1905. 



The great importance of the study of insects in relation to 

 the distribution of many diseases, would appear to necessitate 

 a short course at least, on entomology, in our medical colleges. 

 Some few years ago we called attention to the fact that a well 

 known medical journal contained an article on malaria, in 

 which the writer stated that the mosquitoes were spontaneously 

 generated from decomposing vegetable matter in water. We 

 have known of pediculosis being diagnosed as carpologia and a 

 fatal prognosis given. 



The effect of the "red-bug" (Leptus initaiis) is usually 

 diagnosed as hives and treated by cathartics and other internal 

 medication. 



We have also known the same thing to be diagnosed as a 

 Syphilodenn. The Ne\v England Medical Monthly, p. 335, 

 for August, this year, contains an editorial, " The Brown-Tail 

 Moth Lesions " from which we quote : ' During the past few 

 weeks certain portions of New England, notably, New Hamp- 

 shire and Massachusetts, have been infested by the brown-tail 

 moth pest large acres of territory in several 



States have been so widely infected that the extermination of 

 the insect has become a most serious problem. While the bite 

 of the moth demands some consideration, the skin lesions pro- 

 duced by contact with the caterpillar are of a much more 

 serious character." If the moth bites, it is a 



scientific and medical fact of some importance and should be 

 more generally known. \\'e willingly confess our ignorance 

 and acknowledge that we never have known a lepidopterous 

 nsect that could bite in the imago stage. 



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