February, '12] HUNTER: sand-FLY and pellagra 63 



winter period. Since the females, only, bite, the relative number 

 of the sexes is important. In a count of 488 specimens 219 or 42 % 

 were females. 



Earlier in the season the flies did not seem to bite the patient but 

 beginning with October 12th they attacked her, biting freely, drawing 

 blood perceptibly from her arm. These flies were then divided, part 

 placed in the fly proof cage with the male monkey; part with the 

 guinea-pigs. Repetitions of the same experiment were made almost 

 daily during the stated period. 



On November 7th the male monkey became inactive, then flaccid 

 and motionless save for a high rate of respiration at times. He grew 

 no better, was finally chloroformed and autopsied, and his cellular 

 pathology is now being studied. 



It is our purpose to use a larger series of experiments dealing espe- 

 cially with Rhesus monkeys in greater numbers, |n continued endeavor 

 to ascertain the validity of the Sambon parasitic theory of Pellagra. 

 When once the susceptibility of the animals under experimentation is 

 determined, it would seem that evidence for or against the theory 

 ought to accrue. 



President F. L. Washburn: Any discussion of this paper? Mr. 

 Hunter, you state that in the report of Sambon he credited reptans 

 with being the cause of trouble in Europe, and you also state it is only 

 reported from the northern part of North America. How, therefore, 

 would you account, according to his theory, for cases in our Southern 

 States? 



S. J. Hunter: Mr. President, the other species, both biting, might 

 carry it. 



Miss Mitchell: Mr. President, in the first place, how do you 

 account for the sporadic case which arises where no other pellagrin 

 has been? Do the flies come from long distances? 



S. J. Hunter: One of the theories is that they are very short 

 flighted insects. In fact, one experimenter has shown that pella- 

 grins are within so many feet of the water. He has gone so far as 

 that. 



Miss Mitchell: Then how do you account for cases in such 

 cities as in Baltimore? Flies don't come in the city and bite. There 

 are cases in Baltimore which originated there, and cases in New 

 York city which originated there, and, so far as we know, the in- 

 dividuals have never been out of the city. 



S. J. Hunter: Then that is a very strong point against the Sam- 

 bon theory, because that is one of Sambon's tenets, that it never 

 attacks city workers. 



