﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATE 
  ENTOMOLOGIST 
  323 
  

  

  Means 
  of 
  Protection. 
  

  

  In 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  which 
  we 
  occupy, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  locaUties 
  where 
  

   this 
  insect 
  occurs 
  in 
  annoying 
  numbers, 
  comparative 
  immunity 
  from 
  its 
  

   attack 
  is 
  attainable 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  mosquito 
  nettings, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  

   countries 
  where 
  these 
  luxuries 
  are 
  not 
  procurable, 
  nor 
  would 
  their 
  

   employment 
  afford 
  the 
  desired 
  protection. 
  The 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  

   the 
  districts 
  of 
  Brazil, 
  at 
  certain 
  seasons, 
  can 
  only 
  obtain 
  sleep 
  at 
  night 
  

   by 
  burying 
  their 
  bodies 
  several 
  inches 
  beneath 
  the 
  sand, 
  and 
  covering 
  

   their 
  heads 
  with 
  a 
  thick 
  cloth. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Africa 
  the 
  natives 
  

   swing 
  their 
  hammocks 
  from 
  elevated 
  posts 
  with 
  fires 
  burning 
  beneath 
  

   them 
  to 
  repel 
  the 
  insects 
  with 
  the 
  smoke 
  and 
  heat. 
  In 
  Guiana 
  the 
  

   poorer 
  classes 
  find 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  protection 
  in 
  covering 
  their 
  bodies 
  with 
  

   paint 
  and 
  varnish. 
  Russian 
  soldiers 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  Crimea 
  

   resorted 
  to 
  sleeping 
  in 
  sacks 
  as 
  a 
  protection, 
  but 
  this 
  served 
  only 
  as 
  a 
  

   palliative 
  of 
  the 
  unendurable 
  torments 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  subjected 
  by 
  

   the 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  insatiable 
  blood-suckers 
  of 
  that 
  region. 
  In 
  Lapland, 
  a 
  

   writer 
  states, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  eat 
  or 
  sleep 
  or 
  keep 
  a 
  light 
  burning 
  

   in 
  the 
  hut 
  without 
  constant 
  fumigation, 
  and 
  the 
  additional 
  resort 
  to 
  a 
  

   coating 
  of 
  the 
  exposed 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  person 
  with 
  rein-deer 
  cream, 
  rancid 
  

   fish-oil 
  and 
  tar. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  benefit 
  of 
  those 
  whose 
  summer 
  wanderings 
  may 
  lead 
  them 
  into 
  

   the 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  mosquito, 
  under 
  circumstances 
  when 
  heavy 
  gloves 
  and 
  

   veils 
  and 
  nets 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  conveniently 
  worn, 
  I 
  would 
  state, 
  that 
  when 
  

   the 
  annoyance 
  becomes 
  too 
  serious 
  to 
  be 
  longer 
  borne, 
  protection 
  may 
  

   be 
  procured 
  by 
  making 
  oneself 
  disagreeable 
  to 
  the 
  mosquito 
  through 
  

   means 
  not 
  quite 
  so 
  pronounced 
  as 
  that 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  Laplander 
  resorts, 
  

   but 
  by 
  applying 
  to 
  the 
  hands 
  and 
  face 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  oil 
  of 
  tar 
  com- 
  

   bined 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  carbolic 
  acid. 
  This 
  is, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  best 
  application 
  

   that 
  can 
  be 
  used, 
  as 
  a 
  preventive 
  of 
  mosquito 
  attack 
  under 
  conditions 
  

  

  above 
  named. 
  

  

  Severity 
  of 
  the 
  Bite. 
  

  

  The 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  bite 
  vary 
  greatly 
  in 
  different 
  persons. 
  There 
  are 
  

   those 
  who 
  are 
  scarcely 
  affected 
  by 
  it, 
  and 
  indeed 
  are 
  rarely 
  bitten, 
  either 
  

   by 
  this 
  insect, 
  the 
  bed-bug 
  or 
  the 
  flea, 
  although 
  in 
  situations 
  exposing 
  

   them 
  to 
  attack 
  and 
  with 
  their 
  companions 
  suffering 
  from 
  the 
  infliction. 
  

   I 
  have 
  no 
  explanation 
  to 
  offer 
  for 
  the 
  attractiveness 
  of 
  some 
  persons 
  

   for 
  these 
  pests 
  and 
  the 
  reverse 
  in 
  others, 
  but 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  that 
  it 
  might 
  

   result 
  from 
  some 
  pecuHar 
  emenation 
  from 
  the 
  person, 
  as 
  no 
  attempt 
  

   is 
  made 
  to 
  draw 
  the 
  blood 
  or 
  pierce 
  the 
  skin 
  of 
  those 
  exempt 
  from 
  

   attack. 
  

  

  