llEVIEW — TROPICAL MEDICINE, ETC. 135 



Kendall'* tabulates some useful facts regarding fumigation : — Mosquitoes 



1. Preparation of tho iiouse: disturb the apartments as little as possible; stop up all openings; have the 

 door guarded by a canvas curtain. 



2. To fumigate : for each 1000 cubic feet of air space, 2 lb. of sulphur, or 2 lb. to 4 lb. pyrethrum, are 

 placed in a pot and set alight. 



3. After a few hours the house is opened up, the mosquitoes swept up with a damp broom, the paper 

 and paste used in stopping up cracks removed. Of the several fumigants, sulphur is the most convenient for 

 use. Pyrethrum, also known under the names of " Bubach," Persian insect powder and Dalmatian powder, is 

 used, but the powder should be that obtained fi'om une.xpanded flowers, and not the adulterated varieties 

 frequently ofiered for sale. 



Campho-phonique, called also Mimm's mixture, consists of a mixture of equal weights of camphor and 

 (95 per cent.) carbolic acid, and has proved a fairly reliable culicide. Four ounces of the mixture is placed 

 on shallow pans for each 1000 cubic feet of air space, and subjected to the heat of an alcohol lamp. 



Of the three fumigants mentioned, carapho-phenique has the advantage of being cheap, ctBcieut and non- 

 objectionable. Sulphur is efficient, but proves injurious to fittings and fabrics. Pyrethrum is unreliable and 

 causes darkening of light-coloured paint and similar substances. 



Several other fumigants have been experimented with. Concerning these it is stated : Hydrocyanic acid is 

 dangerous to human beings, owing to its poisonous fumes ; chlorine gas has the disadvantage of bleaching 

 fabrics ; carbon bisulphide is dangerous owing to its inflammability ; Jimson weed or stramonium is unreliable ; 

 formaldehyde is an unsatisfactory insecticide, although so potent a bactericide. 



Other papers which may be noted are those of the brothers Ross,'- on their automatic 

 oiler adopted for cesspools in Cairo. It is fashioned from an old paraflln tin, and is both 

 cheap and ingenious. It is both described and illustrated, and may be conceivably used 

 elsewhere with advantage. 



Another apparently ingenious French contrivance is the mosquito trap invented by 

 Blin,^ which is really an artificial refuge into which the insects penetrate and from which 

 they cannot escape. These trotis-pieges, as they have been called, require to have their 

 efBcacy tested, but may be of value in certain regions. Considerations of space and time 

 forbid their being here described. 



Mycetoma. This disease is by no means rare in the Sudan, and is one which 

 merits careful investigation, for, if its precise etiology could only be determined, preventive 

 measures against it might be put in force. I believe I have seen at least three types of 

 madura foot, but unfortunately there has not been time to study the question fully, and 

 indeed the whole matter is still the subject of controversy. Of recent work none is more 

 important than that of Brumpt,' who has established a special classification and distinguishes 

 no less than eight different varieties of the disease. Of these, two are due to a species 

 of Discomyces and two to Aspergillus. Of the remaining four, less is known. They are 

 probably all due to species of Aspergillus, but, in the absence of cultural proof, they have 

 been placed in two groups, named respectively Indiella (unpigmented septate species) and 

 Madurella (pigmented species). 



The fungi concerned, not only present resisting forms like sclerotia and chlamydo- 

 spores, but also characteristic spore apparatus. 



As Manson' gives Brumpt's classification in some detail, one need only refer briefly to 

 it here. The species are : — 



1. Actinomycotic Mycetoma due to Discomyces bovis, the ray fungus. 



2. Vincent's "White Mycetoma caused by Discomyces madurie. 



This runs a slow course, does not destroy bone, and does not directly affect the 

 general health. The grains vary in size from that of a pin's head to that of a pea. 

 They are yellowish-white, have a mulberry-like surface, and are soft. They grow by 

 throwing out radiating fungus threads, and present a typical appearance. Spread takes place 



' Kendall, A. I. (December 1st, 1906), "Experiments on Practical Culicidfe Fumigation." Jojuiml of 

 Tropical Medicine, Vol. IX. 



^ Ross, E. H., and Ross, H. C. (June 15th, 1907), " An Automatic Oiler for the Destruction and Prevention of 

 Mosquito Larvse in Cesspools and other Collections of Water." Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 

 Series T. M., Vol. I., No. 2. 



^ Blin, Q. (February 12th, 1908), "Destruction des Moustiques p.ar le precede des trous-pieges." Bull. Soc. 

 Path. E.rot., Vol. 1. 



■* Brumpt, E. (November 2.5th, 1906), " Les Myc^tomes." Arch, dr Para.iit., t. X., No. 4. 



" Manson, Sir P., " Tropical Diseases." 4th Edition. London, 1907. 



• Article not consulted in the original. 



— continueii 



