REPORT ON MOSQUITOES. 379 



•Quito's stomach, where it undergoes a necessary change (hence, the mos- 

 quito is called an "intermediate host"), and thence into the salivary glands 

 of the mosquito. Now, when this mosquito bites another person the saliva, 

 charged with the malarial parasites, is injected into the blood, where they 

 attack the red corpuscles and the victm is soon stricken with the paroxysms 

 known to malaria. 



To all who have followed this report with care it will be apparent that 

 the mosquito problem in Elizabeth narrows itself down to the question of 

 means for the extermination of two species of mosquito — Ctilex pipiens and 

 Culex sollicitans. The former breeds wherever it can find standing water in 

 pools, ponds, ditches, sewer-basins, rain barrels, cesspools, or tin cans. 

 Most of these places can be destroyed by draining, or filling in ; the rest 

 can be stocked with fish, treated with oil, or disposed of by sanitary inspec- 

 tion. The sollicitans breed entirely upon the salt marshes, and hence, their 

 destruction is the larger part of the problem, but a thorough study of the 

 accompanying map of Professor Smith's will show you that the whole area of 

 these meadows is not infested with mosquito larvae, and further, that those 

 portions which lie in close proximity to streams, making drainage a much 

 simpler matter than was anticipated before Professor Smith made his entomo- 

 logical survey. 



Newark owns about two-thirds of these meadows and, apparently, breeds 

 more than that proportion of the salt marsh mosquito. Most of the dan- 

 ger spots lying southeast of and adjacent to the city can be drained by 

 lateral ditches leading from Woodruff creek. In Professor Smith's forth- 

 coming report will be shown cuts of a machine that will cut ditches at the 

 remarkably low cost of ten cents per rod. Then nature has supplied a 

 handy remedy in the millions of little fish that fill the streams flowing 

 across these meadows. I made several trips across portions of the meadows 

 last summer, and I never found a larva in water where these fish were 

 living. Therefore, if ditches were cut from the creeks to the inland pools 

 fish would run the whole length of them and keep them entirely free from 

 larvae. It should be remembered that while draining is expensive at first 

 cost, it is permanent in effect. Professor Smith said to me, in speaking 

 of this locality : " I doubt if $500 would be needed to clean out the entire 

 meadows belonging to your city."* Such a small sum expended upon the 

 meadows, with the relief it would surely afford, could be measured in a 

 few years by nothing short of a thousand-fold return in the valuation of 

 our city's taxable property. 



In concluding this report, let me sum up the conditions as follows: A 

 pretty thorough examination of the sources of mosquitoes within our city 

 limits has been made, and they have been found in the ponds, pools, sewer- 

 basins and such temporary places as rain barrels, tin cans, etc. The use 

 of oil and fish have been sufficiently tested to make it clear that when 

 applied to places where water must be left standing they are effectual in 

 clearing out all the places experimented upon. The pools upon the dump- 

 ing-grounds might be filled in at a little cost by utilizing the dirt and ashes 

 dumped near by. A house-to-house inspection is necessary to insure absolute 

 care on the part of many people, who would otherwise neglect breeding 

 sources upon their property, and the only officials who can do this success- 

 fully are those employed by the Board of Health. 



No attempt has been made to kill the mosquitoes upon the meadows, but 

 Professor Smith has definitely located them, and says they can be removed 

 by drainage, and he makes it clear with what facility this drainage may be 

 done. 



This brings us to the question, "What are we going to do about it?" 

 and this question I leave before the people of Elizabeth for them to make 

 their own answer, believing it will be in the light of wisdom, looking to- 



* This was first impression : the problem is larger than it seemed then. 

 <J. B. S.) 



