160 Insects and Disease 



of a collie dog and three Persian cats. Very soon the 

 fleas appeared, the dog and cat flea, Ctenocephalus 

 canis. I did not count them and I can't say whether 

 they numbered a million or only a hundred thousand. 

 On arising in the morning and stepping on the floor 

 one would find from three to a dozen on the ankles. 

 The usual remedies for fleas are either drastic or some- 

 what unsatisfactory. The drastic one is to send the 

 animals to the institutions, where they are asphyxiated, 

 or take the other advice, * Don't keep animals.' 



"I tried mopping the floors with rather a strong 

 solution of creolin but it did little good. Previous 

 experience with pyrethrum was not very satisfactory. 

 Knowing the volatility of naphthalene in warm weather 

 and the irritating character of its vapor led me to try 

 it. I took one room at a time, scattered on the floor 

 five pounds of flake naphthalene and closed it for 

 twenty-four hours. On entering such a room the 

 naphthalene vapor will instantly bring tears to the eyes 

 and cause coughing and irritation of the air passages. 

 I mention this to show how it acts on the fleas. It 

 proved to be a perfect and effectual remedy and very 

 inexpensive, as the naphthalene could be swept up and 

 transferred to other rooms. So far as I am concerned 

 the flea question is solved and if I have further trouble 

 I know the remedy. I intend to keep the dog and the 

 cats." 



