Other Diseases Transmitted by Insects 173 



mosquitoes. It has been noted that leprosy is fre- 

 quently very common in regions where elephantia- 

 sis occurs, suggesting the possibility of the same 

 carrier, the mosquito, for both diseases. So while 

 there is as yet very little evidence one way or the 

 other, insects that are found around leprous pa- 

 tients are to be regarded with suspicion, for until 

 we know more definitely just how the disease is 

 communicated the insects must be looked on as 

 possible sources of contamination. 



KALA-AZAR OR DUM-DUM FEVER 



This is a very fatal infectious disease of many 

 tropical and subtropical regions, spreading terror 

 among the natives wherever it occurs. It is caused 

 by the presence in the system of Protozoan para- 

 sites, the so-called Leishman-Donovan bodies, that 

 have recently been studied by several observers. 



Dr. W. S. Patton of the Indian Medical Service 

 has been making some extensive experiments with 

 the common bedbug of India (Cimex rotundatus) 

 which seem to demonstrate fully that this insect is 

 responsible for the transmission of the parasite that 

 causes the disease. He has found the parasite in 

 all stages of development in the bedbug. This, 

 taken with a number of other observations in re- 

 gard to the tendency of the disease to cling to par- 



