Insects and Diseases

CHAPTER I. Page

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PARASITISM AND DISEASE 1

Definition of a parasite, 1; examples among various animals, 2; Parasitism, 3; effect on the parasite, 4; how a harmless kind may become harmful, 5; immunity, 6; Diseases caused by parasites, 7; ancient and modern views, 7; Infectious and contagious diseases, 8; examples, 9; importance of distinguishing, 9; Effect of the parasite on the host, 9; microbes everywhere, 10; importance of size, 11; numbers, 11; location, 11; mechanical injury, 12; morphological injury, 13; physiological effect, 13; the point of view, 14.

CHAPTER II. Bacteria and Protozoa 15

BACTERIA AND PROTOZOA 15

Bacteria, 15; border line between plants and animals, 15; most bacteria not harmful, 15; a few cause disease, 15; how they multiply, 15; parasitic and non-parasitic kinds, 17; how a kind normally harmless may become harmful, 18; effect of the bacteria on the host, 18; methods of dissemination, 18; Protozoa, 19; Amoeba, 19; its lack of special organs, 19; where it lives, 19; growth and reproduction, 19; Classes of Protozoa, 20; the amoeba-like forms, 20; the flagellate forms, 20; importance of these, 21; the ciliated forms, 22; the Sporozoa or spore-forming kinds, 22; these most important, 23; abundance, 23; adaptability, 23; common characters, 24; ability to resist unfavorable conditions, 24.

CHAPTER III. Ticks and Mites 26

TICKS AND MITES 26

Ticks, 26; general characters, 27; mouth-parts, 27; habits, 27; life-history, 27; Ticks and disease, 28; Texas fever, 28; its occurrence in the north, 28; carried by a tick, 29; loss and methods of control, 31; other diseases of cattle carried by ticks, 31; Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 32; its occurrence, 32; probably caused by parasites, 32; relation of ticks to this disease, 33; Relapsing Fever, 33; its occurrence, 34; transmitted by ticks, 34; Mites, 35; Face-mites, 35; Itch-mites, 36; Harvest-mites, 37.

CHAPTER IV. How Insects Cause or Carry Disease 40

HOW INSECTS CAUSE OR CARRY DISEASE 40

Numbers, 40; importance, 41; losses caused by insects, 41; loss of life, 42; The flies, 43; horse-flies, 43; stable-flies, 44; surra, 45; nagana, 45; black-flies, 46; punkies, 46; screw-worm flies, 47; blow-flies, 48; flesh-flies, 48; fly larvæ in intestinal canal, 49; bot-flies, 50; Fleas, 52; jigger-flea, 53; Bedbugs, 54; Lice, 54; How insects may carry disease, 55; in a mechanical way, 55; as one of the necessary hosts of the parasite, 56.

CHAPTER V. House-Flies or Typhoid-Flies 57

HOUSE-FLIES OR TYPHOID-FLIES 57

The old attitude toward the house-fly, 57; its present standing, 58; reasons for the change, 58; Structure, 59; head and mouth-parts, 60; thorax and wings, 61; feet, 62; How they carry bacteria, 62; Life-history, 63; eggs, 63; ordinarily laid in manure, 63; other places, 63; habits of the larvæ, 64; habits of the adults, 64; places they visit, 65; Flies and typhoid, 65; patients carrying the germs before and after they have had the disease, 65; how the flies get these on their body and distribute them, 66; results of some observations and experiments, 66; Flies and other diseases, 68; flies and cholera, 68; flies and tuberculosis, 69; possibility of their carrying other diseases, 70; Fighting flies, 71; screens not sufficient, 71; the larger problem, 71; the manure pile, 72; outdoor privies, 72; garbage can, 72; coöperation necessary, 72; city ordinances, 73; an expert's opinion of the house-fly, 73; Other flies, 75; habits of several much the same but do not enter house as much, 75; the small house-fly, 75; stable-flies, 75; these may spread disease, 75.

CHAPTER VI. Mosquitoes 76

MOSQUITOES 76

Numbers, 76; interest and importance, 76; eggs, 77; always in water, 77; time of hatching, 77; Larvæ, 78; live only in water, 78; head and mouth-parts of larvæ, 78; what they feed on, 78; breathing apparatus, 79; growth of the larvæ, 80; Pupæ, 80; active but takes no food, 80; breathing tubes, 80; how the adult issues, 81; The Adult, 81; male and female, 81; how mosquitoes "sing" and how the song is heard, 82; the palpi, 82; The Mouth-parts, 83; needles for piercing, 83; How the mosquito bites, 84; secretion from the salivary gland, 84; why males cannot bite, 84; blood not necessary for either sex, 84; The Thorax, 85; the legs, 85; the wings, 85; the balancers, 85; the breathing pores, 86; The abdomen, 86; The digestive system, 86; The salivary glands, 87; their importance, 87; effects of a mosquito bite, 87; probable function of the saliva, 88; How mosquitoes breathe, 89; Blood, 90; in body cavity, 90; heart, 90; Classification, 91; Anopheles, 91; distinguishing characters, 92; eggs, 92; where the larvæ are found, 93; Yellow fever mosquito, 94; its importance, 94; the adult, 95; habits, 95; habits of the larvæ, 95; Other species, 96; some in fresh water, others in brackish water, 96; Natural enemies of mosquitoes, 97; how natural enemies of mosquitoes control their numbers, 98; mosquitoes in Hawaii, 98; Enemies of the adults, 99; Enemies of the larvæ and pupæ, 100; Fighting mosquitoes, 101; fighting the adult, 102; Fighting the larvæ, 103; domestic or local species, 104; draining and treating with oil, 104; combatting salt-marsh species by draining, 105; by minnows or oil, 105.

CHAPTER VII. Mosquitoes and Malaria 106

MOSQUITOES AND MALARIA 106

Early reference to malaria, 106; its general distribution, 106; theories in regard to its cause, 107; insects early suspected, 107; The parasite that causes malaria, 108; studies of the parasite, 108; Life-history in human host, 109; its effect on the host, 110; the search for the sexual generation, 111; The parasite in the mosquito, 112; review of whole life-history, 115; malaria transmitted only by mosquitoes, 115; Summary, 117; experimental proof, 118.

CHAPTER VIII. Mosquitoes and Yellow Fever 120

MOSQUITOES AND YELLOW FEVER 120

A disease of tropical or semi-tropical countries, 120; outbreaks in the United States, 120; parasite that causes the disease not known, 121; formerly regarded as a contagious disease, 122; The yellow fever commission, 123; Dr. Finlay's claim, 124; experiments made by the commission, 125; summary of results, 129; what it means, 130; results in Havana, 131; the fight in New Orleans, 132; In the Panama canal zone, 135; in Rio de Janeiro, 136; claims of the French commission, 138; habits of stegomyia, 139; breeding habits, 139; possible results of war against the mosquitoes, 139; Danger of this disease in the Pacific Islands, 140.

CHAPTER IX. Fleas and Plague 142

FLEAS AND PLAGUE 142

Great scourges, 142; the "black death," 142; old conditions and new, 143; How plague was controlled in San Francisco, 143; Indian Plague commission, 144; Dr. Simond's claim, 145; The advisory committee and the new commission, 146; Results of Dr. Verjbitski's experiments, 147; Results of various investigations, 150; structure and habits of fleas, 151; feeding habits, 152; Common species of fleas, 153; Ground squirrels and plague, 155; squirrel fleas, 156; Remedies for fleas, 157; cats and dogs, 159.

CHAPTER X. Other Diseases, Mostly Tropical, Known or Thought to

OTHER DISEASES, MOSTLY TROPICAL, KNOWN OR THOUGHT TO BE TRANSMITTED BY INSECTS 161

Sleeping Sickness, 161; its occurrence in Africa, 161; caused by a Protozoan parasite, 162; the tsetse-fly, 163; Elephantiasis, 164; caused by parasitic worms, 164; their development, 165; how they are transferred to man, 165; effect on the patient, 166; Dengue, 168; other names, 168; probably transmitted by mosquitoes, 170; Mediterranean fever, 171; cause, 171; may be conveyed by mosquitoes, 171; Leprosy, 171; caused by a bacteria parasite, 171; possibilities of flies, mosquitoes and other insects transmitting the disease, 172; Kala-azar, 173; transmitted by the bedbug, 173; Oriental sore, 174; the parasite may be carried by insects, 174.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 175

Parasites and parasitism, 175; Protozoa, 176; Bacteria, 177; Insects and disease, 178; Mosquitoes--systematic and general, 179; Mosquito anatomy, 182; Mosquitoes--life-history and habits, 183; Mosquito fighting, 183; Mosquitoes and disease, 185; Malaria, 186; Yellow fever, 189; Dengue, 192; Filarial diseases and elephantiasis, 193; Leprosy, 193; Plague, 194; Fleas, 198; Typhoid fever, 199; House-flies--anatomy, life-history, habits, 200; House-flies and typhoid, 202; House-fly and various diseases, 203; Human myiasis, 207; Stomoxys and other flies, 208; tsetse-flies, 209; Trypanosomes and Trypanosomiasis, 210; Sleeping sickness, 211; Rocky mountain fever and ticks, 212; Ticks and various diseases, 213; Kala-azar and bedbugs, 216; Text or reference books, 216; Miscellaneous articles, 218.

ILLUSTRATIONS

AN ARTIFICIAL LAKE, NEARLY DRY AND PARTLY FILLED WITH RUBBISH, HAS BECOME A BREEDING-GROUND FOR DANGEROUS MOSQUITOES Frontispiece

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FIG. 1. A LAMPREY 2

FIG. 2. Sacculina 2

FIG. 3. Trichina spiralis 2

FIG. 4. AN EXTERNAL PARASITE, A BIRD-LOUSE (Lipeurus ferox) 3

FIG. 5. AN INTERNAL PARASITE, A TACHINA FLY (Blepharipeza adusta) 3

FIG. 6. WORK OF AN INTERNAL PARASITE, PUSS-MOTH LARVA PARASITIZED BY A SMALL ICHNEUMON FLY 3

FIG. 7. TYPHOID FEVER BACILLI 20

FIG. 8. Amoeba 20

FIG. 9. Euglina virdis 21

FIG. 10. Spirocheta duttoni 21

FIG. 11. Paramoecium 22

FIG. 12. Vorticella 22

FIG. 13. PATHOGENIC PROTOZOA; A GROUP OF INTESTINAL PARASITES 22

FIG. 14. CASTOR-BEAN TICK (Ixodes ricinus) 28

FIG. 15. TEXAS FEVER TICK 28

FIG. 16. TEXAS FEVER TICK (Margaropus annulatus) 29

FIG. 17. Amblyomma variegatum 29

FIG. 18. Ornithodoros moubata 36

FIG. 19. THE FOLLICLE MITE (Demodex folliculorum) 36

FIG. 20. ITCH-MITE (Sarcoptes scabiei) 37

FIG. 21. HARVEST-MITES OR "JIGGERS" 37

FIG. 22. HORSE-FLY (Tabanus punctifer) 44

FIG. 23. STABLE-FLY (Stomoxys calcitrans) 44

FIG. 24. A BLACK-FLY (Simulium sp.) 45

FIG. 25. SCREW-WORM FLY (Chrysomyia macellaria) 45

FIG. 26. BLOW-FLY (Calliphora vomitoria) 45

FIG. 27. BLUE-BOTTLE FLY (Lucilia sericata) 50

FIG. 28. FLESH-FLY (Sarcophaga sp.) 50

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