8 



made to overcome this by widely distributing pertinent literature on 

 the subject. And as it is reasonable to suppose that in spite of the 

 progress already made and being made to eradicate this disease from 

 Tropical and subtropical America, it will continue to harass us for 

 many years to come, it is believed that a campaign of education 

 should be begun with the young. All important facts pertaining to 

 the transmission of yellow fever by the stegomyia fasciata (calopus), 

 and the mode of propagation of this mosquito should be taught in 

 the public and private schools and colleges in infectible territory. 

 There may be seen in this way a good chance to completely destroy 

 the stegomyia in its present habitat, and even if not successful in 

 entirely destroying it, the great advantage will have been gained that 

 when yellow fever should make its appearance in a locality the work 

 of the sanitarian in checking or stamping out the disease would be 

 made easy indeed and the usual panic with its discomforts and 

 financial losses avoided." 



My experience in these two epidemics and what I have seen else- 

 where has confirmed in my mind the importance of this matter. I be- 

 lieve and would recommend that the method of transmission of yellow 

 fever, and malaria as well, be taught in the schools wherever these 

 diseases are liable to occur. The subject should be taught in the pri- 

 mary grades, for what children then learn they will retain. To 

 obtain the desired result the most elementary teaching would suffice. 

 Children may be taught to dread a mosquito as they now do other 

 insects that are less harmful. In the higher grades, with little labor 

 cr time, the reasons for this fear of the mosquito may be demon- 

 strated, as also the methods of exterminating the insect and of pro- 

 tecting one's self against its bite. 



ULTIMATE EESULTS OF EDUCATION. 



With the above idea disseminated among the people it would not 

 be long before public opinion would demand with irresistible force the 

 drainage of swamps and lowlands and the inspection of houses and 

 premises to see that they were free of breeding places for mosquitoes. 



To have open cisterns, water barrels, bottles, broken crockery, or, in 

 fact, any receptacle capable of holding water exposed for any length 

 of time, would be considered as much a nuisance and a menace to 

 the public health as ill-ventilated and crowded tenements, dirty 

 streets, defective sewerage, and the many other dangers which at 

 present excite the social and political activities of national, state, and 

 municipal authorities. Such a system would, within a comparatively 

 short time"eliminate all danger from both yellow fever and malaria. 



