282 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



As a result the Lion's Club of Carbondale went on 

 record on January 27, 1922, guaranteeing to raise a fund 

 of $2,000 in order to carry on systematic malaria-mos- 

 quito control during 1922. The International Health 

 Board had previously tentatively agreed to furnish 

 $1,000 and the Illinois Central Railroad had given favor- 

 able consideration to the draining of many acres of 

 swamp land adjoining the city on the north. The State 

 Department of Public Health had agreed to provide the 

 services of a sanitary engineer to supervise the work, 

 and the assistance of the State Natural History Survey 

 and the U. S. Public Health Service were also assured. 



Proposed and recommended by the State Department 

 of Public Health, sponsored by the Lion's Club of Car- 

 bondale and receiving financial assistance from that club, 

 the International Health Board, and the Illinois Central 

 Railroad, and directed by the Sanitary Engineering Di- 

 vision of the State Department of Public Health, Car- 

 bondale carried on systematic mosquito-control work for 

 the season of 1922, and for the first time in the history 

 of the city enjoyed practically complete relief from the 

 pestiferous insects. The results from the standpoint of 

 reduction in malaria cases were equally gratifying. Vital 

 statistics and house-to-house canvasses had shown that 

 prior to 1922 the city suffered an average of over 250 

 cases of malaria a year (267 during 1921). Following 

 the close of the mosquito-control work for 1922 it was 

 found by a house-to-house canvass that only 19 cases of 

 malaria had occurred during that year in the entire city. 

 It is quite probable that some of those few cases were 

 recurrent cases or may have received their infections 

 elsewhere. 



The results were so satisfactory to the city officials and 

 civic organizations that had participated in the work, 

 and the economic saving to the community was so appar- 

 ent that arrangements were made to carry on similar 

 control work during 1923. During 1923 the city was 

 again practically free from mosquitoes and only 11 cases 

 of malaria were found by a house-to-house canvass. With 

 these two successful seasons' work as a practical 

 example of what can be done, the city is making arrange- 



