NATURAL DEATH, PUBLIC HEALTH 239 



definite scientific basis fo,r control procedure. "It is 

 well understood, not only by scientists, but also by intel- 

 ligent laymen, that the spread of the infection may be 

 prevented by mosquito control, by protecting people from 

 being bitten by mosquitoes, or by destroying the parasite 

 in the blood of the human carrier. It has been shown, 

 moreover, by repeated demonstrations, that by applica- 

 tion of any one of these measures, or of any combination 

 of them, the amount of malaria in a community may be 

 reduced indefinitely. There are few diseases that pre- 

 sent so many vulnerable points of attack and none per- 

 haps the control of which may be made more definite 

 or certain." (Rose). 



In 1916 the International Health Board undertook 

 some experiments in control at Crossett, Ark. In des- 

 cribing the work Rose says : 



"Effort has been made to test the feasibility of malaria control in 

 small communities by resort to such simple anti-mosquito measures as 

 would fall within the limits of expenditure that such communities might 

 well afford. The habits of the three mosquitoes — A. quadrimaculatus Say, 

 A, punctipennis Say, and A. crumians Wiedermann — which are responsible 

 for the infection in these communities have been made the subject of 

 constant study with a view to eliminating all unnecessary effort, and thereby 

 reducing cost. 



"Experiment at Crossett, 1916 — The first of these tests was undertaken 

 at Crossett, a lumber town of 2,129 inhabitants, situated in Ashley County 

 in south-eastern Arkansas, about 12 miles north of the Louisiana line. 

 Crossett lies at the edge of the so-called "uplands," in a level, low-lying 

 region (elevation 165 feet), with sufficient undulation to provide reason- 

 ably good natural drainage. Climatic conditions and abundant breeding 

 places favor the propagation of anopheles. Malaria, in its severe form, 

 is widely prevalent as an endemic infection, and according to the estimate 

 of local physicians, is the cause of about 60 per cent, of all illness through- 

 out the region. Within the town itself the malaria rate was high, and 

 was recognized by the lumber corporation and the people as a serious 

 menace to health and working eflSciency. 



"The initial step in the experiment was a survey of the community 

 to determine the malaria incidence, to ascertain in the species of mosquitoes 



