194 



Macdonald (Dr. W. R.). A Short Note on the Use of Larvicidal Fish in 

 Combating Malaria Fever. — Proc. Third All-India Sanitary Conf., 

 Lucknow, January 19th-27th, 1914, iv, pp. 75-77, Suppmt. to 

 Ind. Jl. Med. Research. [Received 6th November 1914.] 



In North Madras there was a severe epidemic of malaria with its 

 highest death rate during November and December, 1912, and the 

 first quarter of 1913. Within a total area of some five square miles 

 of more or less porous sandy soil there were no less than 513 tanks 

 and 2,627 wells, besides innumerable temporary pools and cesspits. 

 The tanks were mostly used for irrigation, and it is noteworthy that 

 the epidemic was most severe in the tank zone. The larvicidal fish 

 usually met with in Madras City are Haplochilus patichax, H. 7nelastigma, 

 H. lineolatus, Chela spp., Rasbora daniconius (common minnow), and 

 Therapon jarbua, in brackish water. Haplochilus is very voracious, 

 and Chela and Rasbora also kill many larvae, while Therapon jarbua, 

 though very efficient, is not so widely distributed. A large number of 

 wells and tanks were stocked with fish, but these at first made no head- 

 way against the larvae, which were apparently too numerous for them. 

 Several tanks close to the Tamil Mission Orphanage, in which all the 

 inmates were sick of intermittent fever, were found to contain quan- 

 tities of fish, and at the same time to be swarming with larvae. The 

 water was, however, covered with a mass of algae, in which the fish 

 and larvae were entangled. The building swarmed with Anopheles in 

 February, as did also the dense jungle around. The larvae were found 

 to be those of A. ludlowi, A. fuliginosus, A.jamesi and A. borbirostris, 

 and could be obtained in practically any numbers. The weeds were 

 removed, the margins trimmed and made smooth so as to destroy all 

 pools and footprints. The water was covered with petroleum, which 

 did not in anyway interfere with the fish, and by the end of March the 

 mosquitos had diminished and the health of the occupants improved. 

 By June there were no cases of fever and no larvae. 



The use of fish for stocking tanks can never replace the more 

 valuable and lasting measure of reclamation, but fish become important 

 when financial considerations prevent more serious works being 

 undertaken. The habits of these larvicidal fish require further study 

 and it is exceedingly desirable that careful inquiry should be made 

 as to chemical treatment of water which, while preventing the growth 

 of algae and other aquatic weeds, will not destroy the fish. 



BissET (Major E.). Relapsing Fever in the Meerut Division. — Proc. 

 Third All-India Sanitary Conf ., Lucknow, January 19th-27th 1914, 

 iv, pp. 114-119, Suppmt. to Ind. Jl. Med. Research. [Received 

 6th November 1914.] 



A large portion of this paper is taken up with technical details as 

 to the examination of human body-lice for spirochaetes. This disease 

 was widely spread in the cold weather of 1911-12 and began to diminish 

 in April. In December 1912, it broke out in epidemic form in two 

 districts and in both it had been present for some weeks before dis- 

 covery. Investigation showed that the disease also occurs during 

 the hot months, but only in isolated cases, the explanation being that. 



