Industrialist from Manhattan, Kansas • 4

t-riTT-T-rTTl" 227 THE INDUSTRIALIST. November 29, 1897. i A COMMON PEST. AT this beason of the year a common pest about the lawn, house and barn is the so-called "Box Rider Bug," Lcptocoris irivittatits order Hmiptcra). Its life history and habits have been explained in a previous number of the Industrialist, (March 9, 1889).

The general inquiries being received regarding this insect prompt the publishing of a few notes at this time. The insect belongs to the class that subsists by sucking juices from plants. The accompanying plate shows the various stages of the insect, pointing out its characteristics. The adult, when full grown, is about r.f, TYPHOID FEVER. rpiIE increasing prevalence of typhoid fever in Man-i- hattan and the considerable number of deaths that have been reported as resulting from this disease, will make a brief mention of its cause, and a few suggestions in the way of avoiding it, a timely topic.

Typhoid fever is a disease that owes its origin to the presence in the digestive canal of a micro-organism known as Bacillus typhosus. This organism alone is the cause of typhoid fever, although it is known that when once started a great many other organisms that under ordinary conditions are harmless will fall in line and aid in the destructive work. Therefore, by protecting ourselves against an invasion by this bacillus, which always takes place thro our digestive canal, we can protect ourselves effectually against an attack of typhoid fever. All that is necessary to accomplish this is to know how the bacillus enters the system and then to resort to measures of prevention. Fortunately this is comparatively simple if we will only take the trouble to remember a few facts and observe the lessons they teach.

1 7 v'; Typhoid fever is a disease that spreads directly or 1 1 half an inch in length, dark in color, with red markings. This insect is commonly found in large numbers on the trunks of the box elder tree, from which it receives its name. It passes the winter in the adult stage, seeking shelter in crevices of buildings, stone tree trunks, whence' it emerges during the warm days of early spring. They deposit their eggs in crevices in the bark and on young twigs from which the larva; hatch in a few days and begin their depredations. Different' forms from the adult to the pupaj.inay be found during the summer season existing at the same time.

They feed chiefly upon the box elder, altho; they, are less found attacking ash, and other shade trees. This insect is common in a number of states west of the Mississippi, being known in most regions of Kans-sas, where the box elder is grown. 'A iY" 4 4 i This pest is a common nuisance dur-j1 ing the warm days of fall, winter and spring particularly in the fall when it infests houses, its flat body allowing it to gain entrance thro crevices under doors and windows that are not closely fitted. It is carried into the kitchen with the wood." Persistent brushing and sweeping will to a certain extent assist in ridding the house of this pest. In extreme cases bisulphide of carbon may be used.

This very volatile liquid may be obtained at a-drug store at slight i cost. Expose one drachm (which is EXPLANATION OP PLATE. Uptocoris mitt at us. Fig. l.i A twig of red cedar with eggs, greatly enlarged; the natural size of the eggs shown by the outline at the right.

Fig. 2. The larval bug in its later stage. Figs. 3 and 4.

Same at later stages in order. Fig. 10. Pupa. Fig.

11., Adult bug. Fig. 7. Side view of body showing characteristic structure. Fig.

8. The upper and lower wings. Fig. 9. The abdomen of female.

Figs. 5 and 6. Abdomen of male. indirectly from one person to The only source in the body of an affected person from which these germs usually come is the intestinal contents aiid 'the discharges from such a patient; consequently, privies and cess pools are the first'places to regard with I i C-" (jess' pools and privy vaults are drained in two by special canals leading frbni them to bpen rivers or other places; or their, liquid contents, carry-ling all sorts of micro-organisms with them (including the typhoid germ' when present,) percolate through the soil and. collect in any reservoir that may happen to exist.

The Commonest reservoirs" for this purpose, in cities', are the numerous wells, these breeders of that 1 so-called civilized society persists in using, for collection of drinking water in towns and cities! I When exposed to the action of sunlight for a sufficient length of time these germs soon die, and thus it is, that rivers do not remain permanently infected by this germ; but with wells it is different, they are usually dark, shut off from direct sunlight at least, and thus afford excellent opportunity for this fatal germ to exist and even to multiply. "i Perhaps enough will have been said if it is added that most (nearly all) cases of typhoid fever, when the pains have been taken to do it, can be traced to the drinking of well water, usually water taken from a well that was sunk into the ground near a privy or cess pool. A very simple conclusion then is that if we avoid drinking well water in cities.altogether, and, whenever, the location of the well is suspicious, in the country also, we will avoid the greatest chance in the world of contracting the disease. 11 The fact that many people that have lived to a ripe old age and have taken their daily drinking water from a well that could not help but be contaminated with the drainage of a neighboring cess pool, and still did not contract typhoid fever, of course proves nothing whatever. fTbat typhoid fever is produced in the great majority of cases by drinking water containing the typhoid bacillus, and that this germ is spread by unsanitary sewerage systems, and by the equally unsanitary practice of having wells in cities at all, is an established fact.

'Although water is the principal source of infection, it is not the only possible one. Almost anything that contains soluble organic matter, if only mere traces of it, if it is in any way contaminated with the minutest particles of the discharges of a typhoid fever patient, will act not only as a carrier of the contagion, but, if moist, will act as a medium for its development and thus obviously increase the danger. Ty phoid germs will grow and multiply on almost any equivalent to about a teaspoonful) in a closed room in an open vessel. The vapor created is highly inflammable and in buildings where used no fire or lights shouldbe permitted. This treatment for a few hours will prove efficacious in killing all insects in an infested room, and then it needs only to be aired before occupancy.

It might be added that the box-elder bug is harmless as far as attacking stored provisions and household effects is concerned, altho in some cases they have been known to injure house plants, by feeding on their juices. For out door treatment, which goes a great way to prevent the indoor trouble, spraying the bugs with kerosene emulsion or pure kerosene where they con gregate in large numbers, or by brushing the in E. E. Faviijjc. sects into boiling water.

as hints to show how careful we should be in dealing with this question arid what responsibilities rest upon every individual member of society. Where sanitary reservoirs are provided for water supply in cities, and where the water was free from infection to begin with, there is comparatively little danger from! that source. But well water in cities is never safe; typhoid epidemics or no typhoid epidemics. If a well has been pure a hundred years today, it may be contaminated tomorrow. If for economic or other reasons city well water must be used for drinking purposes it should be boiled; it is then perfectly safe as far as typhoid fever is concerned.

Using well' water in cities where typhoid fever is epidemic, or permitting it to be used, ought to be considered as a criminal offence of the gravest kind. A sanitary water supply supplemented with a proper sewerage system, a system properly planned to begin with and kept in order afterward, would eliminate nearly all of this danger. In addition to the above, avoidance of well water for drinking purposes, and observance of all other sanitary measures with which every member of a civilized community of the day should be acquainted would eliminate practically every possible clanger threatened not only by typhoid fever, but by many other infectious diseases. The common idea that filtered water, or water analyzed by a chemist and pronounced free from a certain per cent of organic matter is safe, is a very erroneous one. There is no practical filter known that will filter all the disease germs from any kind of a fluid.

Some filters are worse than none. Water analyzed by a chemist and pronounced pure may contain innumerable virulent disease germs, and on the other hand, water designated by the chemist as full of organic matter, may be perfectly harmless, it may even be highly nutritious! The chemist can, however, decide whether water contains traces of sewage. Traces of sewage indicate the possible presence of disease and whether present or not, the fact that sewage is present is enough to condemn that water for drinking purposes and exclude it from use because disease germs may at any time appear. The chemist cati pronounce water unsafe, but he cannot pronounce it safe; this last decision must(be left to the moist organic substance, notably the starched linen of The dispersion sale of pure bred cattle and sheep at the Agricultural college, last week, was an eminent success, as is shown by the detailed statement in another column. After the sale had been advertized an attempt was" made to have it postponed, and the aid of the Live Stock Sanitary Commission was invoked.

So sharp did the contention become that the Sanitary Commissioners threatened to quarantine the herd, on the assumption that they were unhealthy. The regents had taken every known means to assure the complete eradication of the disease. They had caused every animal to be tested last spring and had separated the healthy ones, placing them in a distant pasture. Again this fall the tests were repeated and every animal' which responded was killed. Those sold had, therefore, passed two tests and were by the highest veterinary authorities pronounced healthy.

In answer to the Sanitary commissioners, the regents, feeling sure of their position, gave notice that if the herd were quarantined it would be turned over to the care of the commissioners. The good prices paid by experienced breeders for these fine animals show their appreciation of the fact that this herd has a better certificate of health than can be shown by any other in the state, and show that the judgment of the Sanitary Commission was little esteemed in comparison with the united opinion of Dr. Law, of Cor- a patient. They remain alive and virulent in a dry state for many days, even weeks, if not exposed to sunlight. The fact that milk is an excellent medium for the growth of this germ is of the greatest significance; when we stop to think of the practice of watering milk by unscrupulous milk venders.

Well water containing a minimum number of typhoid, germs, might be drunk and no evil results follow in an un-, susceptible person in average health. A small quan-', tity of such'" water added to milk and allowed to stand, a few days might make that milk a deadly' poison be-! cause by that time the germs could have increased! enormously in number. All these statements are intended to serve merely nell University. Dr. Geddes, of the United States bacteriologist and the sanitarian.

The bacteriologist Bureau of Animal Industry, and Dr. Fischer, veter alone can determine the presence of disease germs. i inarian of the Kansas State Agricultural Colleye- Paui, Fischer. Kansas banner, Nov, 25..