February, '15] 



COOLEY: SPOTTED FEVER TICK 



53 



US invaluable assistance by securing needed information concerning the 

 mammalian fauna of the valley and nearby mountains and especially 

 by certain experimental work on the destruction of squirrels. The 

 field work for this Bureau was done by Mr. A. H. Howell and Mr. C. 

 Birdseye. 



An unusual character of personal service has been willingly given 

 by those who have been engaged on this problem in the field work. 

 This applies alike to the pathologists, the entomologists and mammal- 

 ogists who have not hesitated to go into the presence of kno^Ti danger. 

 Especial mention should be made of Messrs. King, Tricks, Birdseye 

 and Wood who have made prolonged stays in the field and finally of 

 Dr. H. T. Ricketts who through several years was almost constantly 

 exposed to dangers known and unknown and finally lost his life by 

 typhus fever while engaged in what was really a part of the spotted 

 fever investigation and of Dr. T. B. !McClintock who contracted 

 spotted fever and gave his life, while engaged in the field, a sacrifice 

 to bis devotion to this cause. 



This devotion has not been in vain. There can be no doubt that a 

 considerable number of lives have already been saved. In spite of the 

 fact that the population of the Bitter Root valley is increasing and of. 

 the further fact that the disease is slowly spreading, fewer cases have 

 occurred in recent years since the work was begun than before. During 

 the season just closed only one case occurred in the heart of the district 

 where in former years a high proportion of all the cases have been con- 

 tracted. The cases recorded this year were with the exception of this 

 one, from territory where the work was not begun. This is due not to 

 am' material reduction of ticks as yet, but to the adoption by many 

 of the residents of the valley of the means of self defense employed by 

 the scientists who are in the work. 



Bringing the spotted fever tick under complete control ^Hll require 

 some years. The territory involved is extensive and the methods 

 which will be effective in one district will not be as effective in another. 

 Educational work among the people must be pushed in advance of 

 actual control and the life history of the tick is such that thoroughly 

 effective measures must be pursued through a term of years in order 

 to secure the desired end. 



President H. T. Ferxald: Is there any discussion on this paper? 



Vice-President Herrick: I would like to ask Professor Cooley 

 if the tick was responsible for the paralysis in those sheep shown on 

 the screen? 



Mr. R. a. Cooley: Yes. I would call attention to a recent work 



