556 
THOMPSON YATES LABORATORIES REPORT 
it is said that there was a severe visitation of beriberi at one time. Besides these there 
are other hospitals such as the ' Portuguese ' and the Ordem III of S. Francisco. 
Lately a quarantine station has been put in working order at the delightful little 
island of Tatuoca, about twenty miles down river from Para ; it is supplied with dis- 
infecting apparatus and accommodation for patients and detention of suspects. Before 
this was opened the nearest quarantine station was that of llha Grande, at a distance 
of about two thousand miles. Ghastly as it may seem vessels have made this journey 
at the bidding of the panic stricken authorities ; now that this has been rectified by 
energetic pressure no more need be said on the matter. 
Mosquitoes 
Remarks on the hygiene of a place in the tropics would not be complete without 
some reference to dealing with the mosquitoes. In some houses visited, they are so 
numerous that even poorer people make use of mosquito nets for sleeping under ; 
this, however, is not general. It appears that old inhabitants and natives are by no 
means insusceptible to the annoyance of the insects, still on the whole they do not 
trouble to protect themselves ; nor are any steps taken to treat the breeding-places 
of the insects. 
English residents with whom I have spoken say ' what is the use of my dealing 
with the precincts of my house unless my neighbours do the same, for I shall get so 
many gnats from next door that my own endeavours will be useless for my own com- 
fort.' This is, no doubt, true to some extent, and really forms the key to dealing 
with the mosquito question, namely, that to be of real use organized and combined 
and continued attacks upon the insects must be made. Dilettante destruction, or 
temporary energy, here and there, will probably never be of any real service. There 
is much that might be done in Para in this respect, and probably the attack on 
breeding-places is the most practical method of dealing with the matter. The con- 
struction of the houses is not very favourable for fixing up permanent wire gauzes, 
such as one sees in the United States, and which are being introduced into other 
regions. 
Besides the cesspools and rain gutters, which have been mentioned elsewhere, 
the carelessness of people leaves all sorts of neglected collections of water about the 
houses, wash tubs, odd tins, etc. (In Cuba, the Americans deal with these by fining 
householders for having unnecessary and unguarded water accumulations on their 
premises). 
The flushing tanks of water-closets which are in constant use do not seem to 
be great breeding-grounds, unless they are left unused ; still there is no harm in 
having them covered with gauze. 
