208 



atypical cases of deng-iie and yellow fever may bear every like- 

 ness to Phlebotomus fever. Hence, too g-reat stress should not be 

 laid on tlie symptoms of individual patients during the course 

 of an epidemic ; it is the general type of case which will give 

 the name to the outbreak. 



Donovan (C). Kala-azar, its Distribution and the probable Modes 

 of Infection. — Proceed, oid Meeting Gen. Malaria Committee, 

 Madras. lSth-20th Nov. 1912, Simla, 1913, pp. 211-214. 



After enumerating a number of places in which kala-azar is 

 endemic, all low-lying, damp and near rivers, and very suitable 

 for malaria, the author goes on to discuss the probable modes 

 of infection, viz., either by foods contaminated by excreta or 

 other substances, or by means of insects. He is of opinion that 

 though Patton has done much to prove transmission of Leishmama 

 donovani, the kala-azar flagellate, by bed-bugs, the fact cannot 

 be accepted in its entirety until several points are elucidated. 

 Conorrhinus rubra f as ciatus, supposed, like Reduvius jwrsonatus, io 

 feed on bed-bugs, may be anotlier instrument: for it sucks human 

 blood under natural conditions, and another Conorrhinus transmits 

 human trypanosomiasis in Brazil. The flagellates harboured 

 by C'ulicids are not Leishmania; and in a case at Nungumbakum 

 agirl of 13, suffering from kala-azar, had no malarial parasites in 

 her blood, whereas her father and two younger sisters had malaria 

 at the same time, and there were no other cases of either disease 

 in the locality. The Herpetomonas of Musca nehulo differs in 

 several ways from Leishmania, so that the house-fly cannot be 

 accused of transmitting the disease. Head and body lice, like 

 Ornithodorus savignii, have given negative results, and although 

 the dog flea has been accused of transmitting infantile kala-azar in 

 Europe, in India the dogs examined have afforded no evidence of 

 harbouring Leishmania. 



Ranck (E. M.). Horn Flies and other Insects.— J//>^'. Agric. Expt. 

 Station Circular, July 1913, 13 pp. 



Cattle on ranges in Mississippi are frequently attacked by 

 myriads of flies, mosquitos and other insects, which not only 

 weaken them by sucking quantities of blood, but the annoyance 

 from the stings and bites almost drives the animals crazy. It 

 is recommended that all wood pastures, especially swamps, should 

 be provided with a large open space, so that the cattle can come 

 out from the woods in certain parts of the day when the flies 

 are most numerous, and stand in this opening. It has been 

 observed that insects are not nearly so numerous in such open 

 spaces as in dense thickets, especially in swampy places. The 

 use of sprays is recommended, especially for milch cows and 

 animals that can be brought into a field. The following mixture 

 is given as effective. Crude cotton seed oil, 2 quarts; kerosene, 

 1 quart; crude carbolic acid, 1 pint; oil of tar, 10 ozs. ; oil of 

 pennyroyal, 1 oz. Smudges are also recommended to be used 

 when the wind is in such a direction as to carry the smoke across 

 the clearings. 



