The Campaign in Havana 259 



thrum to the fruit. There was very little darkening of 

 the skins of the bananas or other fruit when exposed to 

 this substance, and the bananas did not taste bad. 

 Several observers made these observations simultane- 

 ously, tasting fruit before and after fumigation, and 

 also carefully preserved controls. The indications are 

 that campho-phenique is less harmful than sulphur. 

 With the campho-phenique these insects were killed 

 in every case; in the first trial, where the time of 

 exposure was only three-quarters of an hour, one 

 mosquito which was situated near the roof, where the 

 fumes were practically removed by the action of the 

 wind, survived for nearly half an hour, although 

 it could not walk or fly. It was the only survivor 

 of about eighty Aedes calopus placed in the building 

 at that time. The mosquitoes hidden in the fruit 

 were all killed. It is interesting to note that the 

 first experiment carried out in a strong breeze, also 

 resulted in a large number of survivals of mosquitoes 

 in the house fumigated by sulphur, and that they 

 too, were near the roof, where there was loss of fumes 

 due to wind action. 



Sulphur is decidedly objectionable in many ways; 

 it kills mosquitoes, however, and may be looked upon 

 as a nearly perfect fumigant for these insects. Pyre- 

 thrum, if it were more efficient, would do very well, 

 although it leaves a decided coloration on light colored 

 paint and is objectionable from the point of view of 

 time consumed in fumigation, three or four hours 

 being necessary, as a rule, for its combustion. Cam- 

 pho-phenique in well-furnished houses (which in the 

 vast majority of cases are also well-constructed) is 

 very much less objectionable than either of the above, 

 and it combines this factor with the comparatively 



