MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
1 59 
NOTE ON TWO NEW INSECTICIDAL AGENTS. 
R. H. Pettit. 
The following preliminary note is offered for the sole purpose of placing 
on record two new and successful remedies for the control of insect pests. 
The first of these is a new remedy for bed-bugs; the old remedies, such as 
corrosive sublimate, turpentine, gasoline, Pyrethrum, fumigation with 
sulphur and all the rest, are efficient enough if used with enough thorough- 
ness, but each one has some drawback likely to interfere with its continued 
use. Either it is a deadly poison or explosive, or else the odor is disagreeable, 
or in the case of sulphur, is likely to damage metal mork and wall-paper. 
There seemed to be a demand for a non-poisonous or mildly poisonous agent 
that could be used in sleeping-rooms without danger or serious inconvenience. 
The following scheme was hit upon and has proved very successful. 
Alcohol is drawn through pyrethrum in a funnel until the powder is well 
washed and a large part of the resinous principle extracted. To do this, 
the powder is placed in a large funnel with filter-plate and a layer of cotton 
wool at the bottom. An aspirator is attached and the alcohol is at first 
slowly and later rapidly sucked through six or eight times, during which 
operation it becomes highly colored. To this liquid as a basis, are added sev- 
eral oils to give permanence to the application. Both alcohol and pyre- 
thrum evaporate so quickly that it was thought best to carry in some heavier 
volatile oils whose effects would last several days or even weeks. The for- 
mula when completed stands as follows: 
To the extract made by washing 400 grams of Pyrethrum with 2,000 
cc. of strong alcohol, are added — 
50 grams gum camphor 
150 cc. cedar-wood oil 
25 grams oil citronella 
25 grams oil lavender 
The application is best made with a large sized atomizer, one holding a 
pint or more and working with a piston instead of a rubber bulb, such an 
atomizer as is put out' by the Gorkins Chemical Co. for use with their insecti- 
cide. We have also used a potato-bug sprayer by plugging one of the outlets. 
To obtain the best results, repeat the treatment after about two weeks. 
We have tried this mixture repeatedly and with uniformly gratifying results. 
Usually one application, if thoroughly made, put a period to the complaints, 
about eight or ten ounces being required in an average sleeping-room. The 
odor remains some little time in a room, but is not disagreeable to the average 
person. 
The second insecticide is used against ants in houses. When the nests are 
to be found by tracing the lines of workers, it is easy to destroy the colonies 
by the use of carbon bisulphide, but the nests are not so easy to find at all 
times, and the use of bisulphide about buildings is always dangerous because 
of the poisonous and explosive nature of its fumes. 
Some two years ago, Mr. Howard Kraus, a druggist of Lansing, told us 
of his success with tartar emetic, and suggested that we experiment to find 
out the most efficient way of using it. Mr. Kraus used a mixture of simple 
