414 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 585. 



them and have them in ponds or undrain- 

 able accumulations of water. Screen your 

 cisterns, or water tanks; salt your gutters, 

 as was done by Dr. J. H. White, in this 

 city last summer. Two and one half per 

 cent, solution is sufficient, or oil them with 

 kerosene as has been suggested and done by 

 Dr. L. 0. Howard. Both methods are ex- 

 tremely successful as I have seen in this 

 city during the past summer. It was 

 thought by our citizens that we could not 

 get rid of mosquitoes, but it was certainly 

 done by Dr. J. H. White and the citizens 

 of this city. The past summer was the 

 first summer that I can remember having 

 slept without a mosquito bar, and many 

 thousands in this city can say the same. 

 The Stegomyia colopus, which is the cor- 

 rect name, as I am lately informed by Dr. 

 L. 0. Howard, was hard to find after the 

 measures were adopted. I had hard work 

 to find them for experimental work ; before 

 this summer I could go into any house, 

 and get all I wanted. I tried in every 

 way to see if I could get larvas by the 

 usual method of placing uncovered recep- 

 tacles holding water, and for two months 

 no larva appeared. I have not seen any 

 stegomyia in my house since the screening 

 and work done for their extermination. 

 The anopheles mosquito, or malarial mos- 

 quito, breeds in the swamps or large ponds 

 where there are no minnows or fish; so, 

 drain, fill, stock them with numerous fish, 

 salt or oil them. 



The destruction of infected mosquitoes 

 in homes, ships, etc., is best done by 

 culicides. Sulphur kills them and other 

 insects, but is so destructive to things such 

 as furniture, delicate fabrics, etc., that 

 people will not use it ; pyrethrum is expen- 

 sive and does not kill; it simply stupefies. 

 Dr. J. H. White, knowing these difficulties, 

 appointed a committee to investigate culi- 

 cides. This committee was composed of 

 the following membei-s: Dr. J. H. White, 



president; Dr. Rupert Boyce, vice-presi- 

 dent; Dr. Donald Currey, Dr. W. H. Per- 

 kins, purveyors; Dr. Q. Kohnke, Dr. H. 

 A. Veazie, secretaries. 



The committee, after trying various sub- 

 stances, tried the culicide of Mr. J. C. 

 Mims, the analytical chemist of this city, 

 and chemist to the city board of health. 

 This culicide was first used by him to kill 

 mosquitoes, after years of experimenting 

 with various substances. He tried equal 

 quantities of gum camphor and crystallized 

 carbolic acid, and found that it was most 

 eifectual as a culicide, and I am quite cer- 

 tain it is a most excellent germicide, as it 

 should be theoretically and as has been 

 shown in some recent experiments. This 

 culicide is made of equal quantities by 

 weight of carbolic acid and gum camphor; 

 the crystals of the carbolic acid being 

 melted by gentle heat and poured over the 

 camphor, and the clear liquid colored blue, 

 by methylene blue, simply for safety 's sake, 

 and the liquid volatilized by heat. The 

 vapors kill all insects, mosquitoes most ef- 

 fectually, and destroy or injure nothing 

 whatsoever except animate things. This 

 culicide and disinfectant was used most 

 extensively last summer in the most ele- 

 gant houses, Pullman cars and ships with 

 the most satisfactory results. Every im- 

 aginable insect, such as mosquitoes, flies, 

 roaches, etc., was killed by it, and nothing 

 whatsoever, except living things, injured. 

 The expense of this culicide is between 

 that of sulphur and pyrethrum. It is 

 far better than either. It is safe when 

 properly used, and kills insects from the 

 top of the room to the floor, when used in 

 proper quantities, three ounces to the thou- 

 sand cubic feet. All broken panes of glass 

 must be covered and pasted, ventilations 

 closed, and fireplaces of room closed up so 

 that none of the vapor escapes. The only 

 trouble was that connected with generators, 

 which had to be efi'ectual and safe, as the 



