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104 



FiLippiNi (A.). Tossiciti della benzina usata quale pediculicida. [The 

 toxicity of benzine used against lice.] — Annali d'lgiene, Rome, 

 xxvi, no. 4, 30th April 1916, pp. 268-269. 



In treating lice on the head, soldiers in the field have been found to 

 suffer headache and other troubles as the result of copious appHcations 

 of benzine, followed by the wearing of an air-tight head covering. 

 Ordinary benzine is a mixture of hydrocarbides of the fatty series of 

 the general formula C„H„n, while benzole is a hydrocarbide of the 

 aromatic series, defined chemically as CoHj. and these two products 

 are often confused in toxicological hterature. Both of them are 

 dangerous to inhale and the cases referred to above appear to be acute 

 poisoning due to inhaling the benzine vapours. Action on the skin 

 and chronic lesions take a long time to develop. Petroleum may with 

 advantage be substituted for benzine for insecticidal purposes ; it& 

 action is more certain (benzine often only stupefying the parasites, 

 w^hich recover once the vapour has disappeared), it is less inflammable 

 and practically non-poisonous. Its smell is the only disadvantage. 



Orenstein (A. J.). The Problems and Principles of Malaria Preven- 

 tion. — South African J I. Sci., Cape Town, xii, no. 6, January 

 1916, pp. 193-199. [Received 9th May 1916.] 



In this review of the relations between mosquitos and malaria the 

 following Anophelines are recorded as capable of transmitting the 

 disease: — Anopheles maculipennis, Meig.; A.hifurcatus,'L.; A. pseudo- 

 punctipennis, Theo. ; A. tarsimaculatus, Goeldi ; A. formosaensis, 

 Tsuzuki ; A. {Cellia) albimanus, Wied. ; A. (C.) agyrotarsis, R. D. ; 

 A. (C.) pharoensis, Theo. ; A. (Myzomyia) listoni, Liston ; 

 A. (M.) funestus, Giles ; M. turkhudi, Liston {hispaniola, Theo.) ; 

 A. {Myzorhynchus) barbirostris, van der Wulp ; A. sinensis, Wied. ; 

 A. unibrosus, Theo. ; A. {Nyssorhynchus) annulipes, Walk. ; A. fuli- 

 ginosus, Giles ; A. niaculipalpis, Giles ; A. sfephensi, Liston ; 

 A. theobaldi, Giles ; A. ivillmori, Theo. ; A. (Pyretophorus) costalis, 

 Loew ; A. (P.) superpictus, Grassi ; and A. tnyzomyifacies, Theo. 



The fact that cases of disease may be infrequent in a district in which 

 both human carriers and insect transmitters are present is important 

 in an anti-malarial campaign, since it is sufficient to reduce both the 

 Anophelinae and the human parasites to what has been termed " the 

 non-infective minimum," and to maintain them at that level. The 

 sexual form of the malarial parasite has been found to occur in 

 numerous individuals who show no signs of disease, since they have 

 been more or less immune through successive attacks. Such individuals 

 are a source of danger to the community. 



Malaria prevention can be carried out along five lines : — (1) The 

 elimination of human carriers only ; (2) the reduction to a non- 

 infective minimum of the number of malaria-transmitting mosquitos ; 

 (3) the protection of individuals against bites of mosquitos ; (4) the 

 protection of individuals by means of drugs against the develop- 

 ment of the parasite in the blood ; (5) a combination of several or all 

 of these methods. The first method is impracticable since it involves 

 the systematic blood examination of all members of a community 

 and intensive treatment of all affected persons. The second plan has 



