PREVENTIVE MEASURES 2^5 



considering this delay, it is a delight to see the com- 

 parative rapidity with which the anti-house-fly idea is 

 spreading. Possibly had this latter crusade been be- 

 gun first it would not have moved so rapidly ; possibly 

 the education which people have had in regard to mos- 

 quitoes makes them more ready to accept the ideas that 

 are being put forward by the anti-fly movers. 



But in the case of mosquitoes, in more than one com- 

 munity it was found absolutely impossible to do any- 

 thing with the adults, and education was begun with 

 the children in the schools. Probably the first of this 

 work was carried on by Prof. C. F. Hodge in Worces- 

 ter, Mass., in 1901 or 1902, and he was very successful 

 in interesting the school children in the search for mos- 

 quito breeding places. 



The most serious and productive effort, however, was 

 made at San Antonio, Texas, a year or two later, at 

 the initiative of Dr. J. S. Lankford. The school board 

 approved the idea of endeavoring to educate all of the 

 school children of the city in prophylaxis, and to make 

 sanitarians out of all of them. The best medical lit- 

 erature on the subject was procured and furnished to 

 the teachers. A circular letter was sent to them out- 

 lining the proposed course, and offering a cash prize 

 for the best model lesson on the subject. Teachers 

 became greatly interested; a crude aquarium with 

 eggs and wrigglers was kept in every schoolroom where 

 the pupils could watch them develop, and large mag- 

 nifying glasses were furnished in order that they might 

 study to better advantage. The children were en- 



