HAPPY INDIA 125 



of malaria. It is not thought that the mosquito 

 makes the malaria, only that it carries it. There 

 happened to be in the neighbourhood a number of 

 labourers who were engaged in making a new rail- 

 way, and these labourers had come from a distance, 

 from a part of the country where there was a great 

 deal of malaria, and it was thought that the mos- 

 quitoes had bitten some of these labourers and then 

 carried the poison to other people. The malaria 

 was approaching the town of Madras when this 

 discovery was made. Hastily the pools of water 

 were filled up and the mosquitoes were destroyed, 

 and in a few years' time this seaside place became 

 once again a health resort. This is enough to 

 show the difficulty of dealing with malaria : every 

 little puddle may be a breeding-place for 

 mosquitoes. 



If a drinking-f ountain is made, a little water splash- 

 ing on the ground may make a puddle and be a 

 breeding-place for mosquitoes. If these mosquitoes 

 are to be abolished from any locality every puddle 

 must be filled up, every little broken pot lying about 

 which might hold a tablespoonful of water must 

 be buried. Every stream must have its banks 

 made straight and smooth so that there shall not be 

 little corners where the mosquito may breed. Every 

 tank of water must also have its sides made straight 

 and clean and smooth, and where necessary the 

 surface of the water must be covered with petroleum, 

 of which a very thin layer will drive away the 

 mosquitoes. It is easy to see what a big job is 



