168 MOSQUITOES 



be handled by still larger organizations— even by States. 

 Mr. Matbeson's clever phrase, referred to in the intro- 

 duction to this book, " There is no more reason why peo- 

 ple should suffer from mosquitoes than that i\\ej should 

 suffer from smallpox," is not an over-statement ; and that 

 the effort should be made when it promises success is 

 so self-evident that it only requires a few enthusiastic 

 and enlightened individuals in a community to convince 

 everyone of the desirability of an organized effort. 



Setting aside the question of yellow fever, which only 

 at intervals concerns even the States along the Gulf of 

 Mexico, and is of vital and constant importance only in 

 tropical regions, a mere passing thought shows the eco- 

 nomic loss to a neighborhood in the prevalence of ma- 

 laria. While the actual death-rate may not be high, the 

 number of persons incapacitated for their full share of 

 work is always great. Families suffer in one way or an- 

 other, and the community, when the matter is considered 

 in a broad way, is a great loser. Aside, too, from ma- 

 laria, it is perfect!}^ obvious that a mosquito-ridden 

 neighborhood is not a desirable j^lace of residence. The 

 very fact of the abundance of mosquitoes keeps real 

 estate values at a depressed point. I know of one case 

 where a stretch of land near a large body of water af- 

 forded many excellent cottage and villa sites, but mos- 

 quitoes were so numerous that even domestic animals 

 could not be kept in a healthy condition, and the sole 

 population consisted of a few smoke-dried fisliermen and 

 their dogs. In this locality, by enterprising work on the 

 part of one man, who organized a company for the pur- 



