CHAPTER IX 



OPPOSITION 



IF one examines the lives of the world's greatest 

 pioneers, whether it is in the direction of religion, 

 science, the arts, civilisation, exploration, war, almost 

 invariably the same story of opposition is told. All 

 sincere work encounters difficulties, and one of the 

 greatest of its difficulties is opposition ; sanitary work 

 is no exception to the rule. But at the same time, it 

 must be remembered that if there were no difficulties 

 to surmount we should probably hear but little of some 

 of our pioneers. Difficulties in some form or another 

 are sure to be met with in fly- campaigns sooner or later, 

 and it is better to be forewarned about them. The 

 institution of anti-mosquito campaigns has led to 

 difficulties often of the most peculiar nature. Opposi- 

 tion owing to the ignorance of the population was 

 always held up as a dark cloud hovering over the heads 

 of the instigators. All sorts of dire effects of popular 

 ignorance were anticipated riots, battles with police, 

 religious storms, handles to socialism, etc. But these 

 have not occurred yet, although anti-mosquito campaigns 

 have been in progress in various places in all quarters 

 of the globe, and among various nationalities and 

 peoples all the world over for the past ten years. Even 

 at Port Said which was commonly known as a sink of 

 iniquity never so much as a threat was received from 



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