50 



Mai* paOoT-b "KommccIm no BbipaOoTKt Mtp-b 6opb6bi Cb Hact- 

 KOMbiMM, pasHOCMTenflMH anHAeMHMecKMX'b 3a6oJitBaHiii". 



[Reports of " the Commission for the investigation of remedies 

 against insects which carry epidemic diseases."] — « MSB'^CTin 



MocKOBCHaro ShTOMonorimecKaro 06mecTBa.» [Bulletins of the 

 Moscow En'omological Society], Moscow, vol. 1, 28th November 

 1915, pp. 162-184. [Received 27th January 1916.] 



The following are the first three reports of this Commission, which 

 has been founded by the Moscow Entomological Society under the 

 chairmanship of Professor N. M. Kulagin. 



1. Engelhardt (V. M.). BnifiHie TewnepaTypij, cyxocTM Boanyxa m 



nponMTbiBaHin TKaHeii paa/iHHHbiMM BeiuecTBaMM Ha musHe- 

 cnoco6HOCTb BSpocnblXl* BlueM. [The effect of the temperature, 

 the dryness of the air and the soaking of fabrics wath various 

 substances on the vitality of adult hce], pp. 164-170. 



The fatal effect of high temperature on lice is already well known 

 and various methods of utilising it for their control have been 

 devised. The author's experiments were limited to temperatures not 

 higher than the average temperature of the human body, from which 

 it appears that lice were able to live without food for 2 to 5 days at a 

 temperature of 85° F. in wet air and for 2 to 3 days in dry air ; at 68° F. 

 they lived for 3 to 6 days in wet air and for 2 to 4 days in dry air, 

 while at 60° F. the respective number of days were 4 to 6 and 4 to 5 ; 

 thus the length of life of lice without food is in direct proportion to 

 the moisture of the air and in inverse proportion to the temperature. 

 Experiments on the soaking of fabrics with various substances were 

 made with birch tar, turpentine, kerosene and combinations of these 

 substances. The kind of birch tar employed, whether crude, rectified, 

 black, or white, is of no great importance, and for practical purposes 

 a 5 per cent, solution of crude birch tar may be applied, which, although 

 it somewhat discolours the linen, will keep away lice for 10 to 15 days ; 

 white birch tar is more expensive and rather less effective. Turpentine 

 gave good results, but is very volatile ; kerosene does not soil the 

 linen, but is not lasting in its effect, and sometimes affects the skin. 

 Combinations of these three substances proved stronger in their effect 

 than each of them separately, particularly a solution of 1 per cent, 

 of rectified birch tar in a 50 per cent, kerosene emulsion, and another 

 containing 10 parts of Russian turpentine and 5 parts of rectified 

 birch tar in 500 parts of water. Good results were also obtained by 

 the application of creoline in a 1 per cent, solution in water. 



2. MusBELius (A. A.). OnbiTbi M Ha6/iH)AeHifl Hafl-b nMiaHiewb nna- 



TflHblXl> BlUeif M HaAli A'^MCTBieM'b Ha HMX-b HiKOTOpblX-b 

 AyUJHCTblX'b Beu^eCTBT). [Experiments and observations on the 

 feeding of clothes lice and on the effect of various odorous 

 liquids on them.] pp. 170-179. 



Records of several series of experiments with different ethereal oils 

 are given. From the first of these, it appears that oil of origanum 

 (marjoram) had the most rapid effect, while oil of cloves is more rapid 

 in its action, but less effective than that of cinnamon or bergamot. 



