418 Phylum Arthropoda 



REARING MAGGOTS FOR SURGICAL USE 



G. F. White, U. S. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 



THE epoch-making observation made by the late Dr. William S. 

 Baer, and confirmed by many other surgeons, that sterile living 

 blowfly larvae are a tremendously useful adjunct in the post-operative 

 treatment of chronic osteomyelitis and other suppurative conditions has 

 created an urgent need for maggots suitable for surgical use. 



If the maximum benefits are to be experienced by the greatest num- 

 ber of patients, the maggots not only must be sterile but also must be 

 readily obtainable the year round, must be available in ample numbers 

 at low cost, and must be ready for the surgeon any hour of the day 

 throughout the year. A method for the production of surgical maggots 

 by which these objectives may be closely approached is outlined here. 



APPARATUS 



Fly Cages. The fly cages (Fig. 74) have a frame of wood with a solid 



board bottom and measure 10 

 inches wide by 15 inches high 

 by 18 inches deep. The sides, 

 top, and one end are of cheese- 

 cloth fastened to the frame by 

 thumbtacks aided by a cord 

 fitting in grooves in the top and 

 the bottom pieces. Galvanized 

 iron wire screen and a door in 

 which is cut a smaller one en- 

 close the front end. 



Larval Pans. Circular, 

 covered pans 8.5 inches in diam- 

 eter by 4 inches high (Fig. 75 

 A, B,) are used for rearing 

 larvae for stock flies. A smaller 

 pan or crystallizing dish within 

 rests on a handful of fine wood 

 shavings. Openings in the lids 

 are covered with cheesecloth and 

 cotton in rearing larvae on auto- 

 claved food. Cheesecloth alone 

 covers the openings in growing 



them on unheated food. 



Strainer for Eggs. A strainer (Fig. 76) for removing eggs from the 



disinfecting solution and for washing them consists of a bottle with a 



Fig. 74. — Cage for blowflies. The frame is of 

 wood with a solid bottom and is enclosed on 

 four sides with cheesecloth. 



