CONTENTS 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS x 



CHAPTER ONE. MANS MORTAL ENEMIES 



Man Conquers the Louse 1 



The American Army stops a potential epidemic of 

 typhus in Naples. 



The Battle of the Centuries 2 



Since man first appeared, he has been fighting a battle 

 for survival with his enemies — the insects. 



More Destructive Than Wars 4 



The toll of wars is tremendous, but it is small com- 

 pared to the destruaion of human lives by insects. 



The Black Death 5 



Bubonic plague — the scourge of mankind. 



Rats, Fleas, and Plague 7 



The role of rats and fleas in transmitting bubonic 

 plague. 



Lice, Fever, and Death 10 



Typhus, follower of armies throughout the centuries. 



Mosquitoes and Quinine 15 



Malaria — disease of chills and fevers — and the life- 

 giving bark. 



Yellow Jack 21 



The successful battle against yellow fever. 



Animals, Insects, and Man 25 



Animal reservoirs of disease, and the role of insects 

 in transmitting disease to man. 



CHAPTER TWO. DDT IS BORN 



Unwept, Unhonored, and Unsung 30 



Othmar Zleidler, a German chemist, prepared DDT in 

 1874 but failed to recognize its properties. 



The Lost is Found 32 



DDT is rediscovered by the Geigy Company of Swit- 

 zerland. 



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V 



