FLEAS 159 



" (4) If the house is infested, sprinkle a liberal amount of 

 buhach beneath all rugs and matting, and under all 

 shelving and cabinets. The following day take all rugs, 

 carpets, and matting out of doors and shake thoroughly 

 and hang in the sun for several hours. Wash the floor 

 with hot soapsuds. Sprinkle buhach beneath the rugs, 

 carpets, and matting when returning them to the 

 house." 



Many people desire to keep a pet dog, and the following 

 method of getting rid of fleas and still retaining the dogs 

 is given by Henry Skinner of Philadelphia. He says : 

 " In the latter part of May I moved into a new house that 

 had not previously been occupied. No carpet was used 

 and being summer only a few rugs were placed on the 

 floors. A part of the household consisted of a collie dog 

 and three Persian cats. Very soon the fleas appeared, 

 the dog and cat flea, Ctenocephalus canis. ... I tried 

 mopping the floors with a rather strong solution of creolin, 

 but it did little good. Previous experience with pyre- 

 thrum (buhach) was not very satisfactory. Knowing the 

 volatility of naphthaline in warm weather and the irritat- 

 ing character of its vapor led me to try it. I took one 

 room at a time, scattered on the floor five pounds of flake 

 naphthaline and closed it for twenty-four hours. On enter- 

 ing such a room the naphthaline vapor will instantly 

 bring tears to the eyes and cause coughing and irritation 

 of the air passages. ... It proved to be a perfect 

 remedy and very inexpensive as the naphthaline could 

 be swept up and transferred to other rooms. So far as I 

 am concerned the flea question is solved and if I have 

 further trouble I know the remedy. I intend to keep 

 the dogs and cats." 



