USE OF OIL FOR DESTROYING MOSQUITO LARVAE 219

to figures acquired by scientific methods, thing but a wise and honest use of figures.
properly recorded and analyzed, shot In studying past or current phenomena
through with the recognition that there is or in forecasting the future by statistics
being measured after all, fundamental an accurate compilation plus a legitimate
events in human lives. Accuracy and interpretation are essential. Given these,
validity are especially important from the supplemented by an effective presentation,
publicity angle. The public to a great statistics will be recognized by the public,
degree still thinks that " You can prove as indeed they are in fact, as the basic
anything by figures." It would seem to be instrument for the illumination of truth
impossible to build confidence on any- and the orientation of the public mind.

THE THEORY OF THE USE OF OIL FOR

DESTROYING MOSQUITO LARVAE*
HOWARD WHIPPLE GREEN
Cleveland Health Council, Cleveland, Ohio.
T HE PUBLIC in general and sani- oil of light specific gravity which would
tarians in particular are giving more spread well would give results. Today,
and more attention to the problem however, due to the many different non-
of reducing the prevalence of mosquitoes toxic oils that are on the market, it is
or, as often incorrectly stated, to eradicat- necessary to study carefully the avaliable
ing the mosquito. oils, because many of the most toxic and
Considerable advance has been made volatile portions have been removed from
in the methods used to reduce their the crude oil by means of the highly. de-
prevalence. Even though more or less veloped methods of modern oil chemistry.
permanent methods such as draining, fill- In order to study an oil intelligently,
ing and stocking with minnows, are used it is necessary to know the exact effect
when practical, there are many bodies of which it exerts upon the mosquito larvae.
water in which mosquito breeding must In 1921 it was necessary to find an oil
be controlled by other means of a more which would kill mosquito larvae in a
temporary nature. Oil is ordinarily used minimum length of time. This oil was
for this purpose and the total amount of needed for controlling Anopheles mos-
oil used is increasing enormously. quito breeding in over 166 miles of
During the past thirty years a great ditches involved in an anti-malaria
many different kinds of oil have been demonstration at Aguirre, Porto Rico.
used to kill mosquito larvae. An oil was The results of the experiments** under-
usually selected which would spread easily taken in 1921 and 1922 to determine what
over the surface of the water without properties of the oil were active in killing
considering what effect it exerted upon mosquito larvae may be outlined as fol-
the larvae. This method of selection was lows (Full-grown Anopheles Albimanus
satisfactory in the past because any crude Mosquito larvae were used in all experi-
ments unless otherwise stated):
*Read before the Sanitary Engineering Section of
the American Public Health Association at the Fifty- ** These experiments were given in detail in the
tbird Annual Meeting at Detroit, Michigan, October 20, American Journal of Hygiene, Vol. IV, No. 1, 12-22,
1924. January, 1924.
220 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
I. The oil film causes full-grown Anopheles Because of these results'it'may be said that
larvae to die: all light oils, when used in excess, are prac-
1. By suffocation, due to a mechanical tically equally effective, although longer
barrier being formed between them periods of time are required to kill the larvae
and the air. (Larvae live the same by some oils than by others. However, when
length of time-22 miiinutes wvhen pre- less than an excess of oil is used other factors
zvented fromn reaching the outside air will alter the effects. For this reason the
by physical means as by a film of field work needs to be carefully observed when
Nujol, a nont-toxic oil.) using oils requiring long periods of time to
2. By suffocation, due to the oil enter- kill the larvae.
ing their breathing siphons to an
extent sufficient to physically block The method used to apply the oil to
the passage of air. (Larvae die in the the water surface is nearly as important
samiie length of timze after being ex- as the selection of the oil. There are
posed to a filmn of Nujol for 63 two common theories of oiling which are
seconds as when exposed for 22 dependent upon a knowledge of the life
minutes. The heavy oils do not enter habits of the mosquito. The mosquito
the siphoni to any extent and there-
fore a short exposure has no effect lays from 100 to 300 eggs on the water
upon the larvae.) surface. She rests upon some bit of
3. By poisoning, due to the toxic vegetation or debris close to the surface
properties of the volatile portions of the water while ovipositing. The eggs
of the oil penetrating the tracheal after about 2 days develop into larve
tissues. (Gasoline causes death in 12 which live in the water. These larvae
seconds, kerosene ifn 4 minutes. The propel themselves through the water by
volatile portion of the oil alone causes characteristic body movements. They
death in the case of gasoline in 7 come to the surface of the water for air
minutes and kerosene in 2 hours.) at frequent intervals or rest at the sur-
II. The rapidity with which the larva die is face for longer periods of time. After
dependent upon the volatility and toxicity from 5 to 10 days the larvae change into
of the oil: pupae in which state they live from 1 to
1. Larvae obtaining large qtiantities of 2 days before hatching into adults. The
* this toxic substance die in much
shorter time than those obtaining adult mosquitoes soon fly away. A knowl-
small quantities. When an excess edge of this life cycle determines the
of an oil having a specific gravity method of oiling.
of 0.855 is used, larvae die in less than
4 minutes, while when only 3 c.c. per NON-TOXIC OIL
square foot is used, double the time By one method the surface of a body
is required to kill the larvae. of standing water is covered with a large
III. Larva obtain their fatal dose in a very quantity of a heavy non-toxic oil which,
short time: providing the entire surface of the water
1. Larva obtain their' fatal dose of is continually covered, will after several
gasoline in less than one second, and hours ultimately kill all of the mosquito
of engine distillate, Texaco, in less
than two seconds. It may be sup- larva. The oil film placed in this manner
posed that the time required to will prevent any mosquito from deposit-
obtain a fatal dose of practically all ing eggs as long as the oil film covers
light oils is very small. the entire surface of the water. An oil
2. The larva do not obtain "a fatal film of this nature will also kill the adult
dose" of oils so heavy that they do female mosquito if she attempts to alight
not enter their breathing siphons. near the water surface for the purpose
IV. Culex larvae require a much longer time of oviposition. In order to maintain an
to die than Anopheles larvae (at least unbroken film of oil upon the surface
6 to 8 times as long). of the water for any number of days,
 USE OF OIL FOR DESTROYING MOSQUITO LARVAE 221
it is necessary to use a very large amount has been the practice in the control work
of' an oil which will spread well and under the supervision of the writer to
evaporate slowly. It is not necessary to instruct the oilers to " paint " both sides
pay any attention to the toxicity of the of all ditches. The oil, if applied in this
oil nor the method of applying it. It is, way, will spread to the center of the
of course, impossible to use this method ditch and thus kill all of the larve which
for running water or bodies of water ex- may be present.
posed to considerable wind action. The oil is most efficiently applied by
spray cans, of which there are two general
TOXIC OIL classes, represented by the Myers knap-
A preferable method of oiling is to sack spray pump, Panama type, fitted with
cover the entire water surface with an a Bordeaux nozzle with which practically
extremely small amount of a toxic oil. all workers are already familiar, and the
The toxic oil will cause the larva to die Pneumatic Compressed Air Sprayer
within a few minutes time and may then which will be described here in greater
evaporate completely. Eggs may be de- detail. There are several serious dis-
posited immediately afterwards which advantages to the use of the knapsack
develop as already described. It is neces- spray can. In the first place it has a
sary to oil the body of water again a capacity of 5 gallons of oil which is a
short time before the new brood is ready heavy load for the laborer of today. In
to hatch out. It will be necessary to dis- the second place, the can carried on the
pense the oil at more frequent intervals back is hard to handle in rough country
when a light toxic oil is used in small necessitating climbing fences or mounting
quantities than when a heavy non-toxic other obstacles. Small quantities of the
oil is used in large quantities. oil are frequently spilled from the tank
The method of applying the toxic oil upon the back of the oiler which black-
is of importance and depends upon a ens the clothing and sometimes seriously,
theory which may be illustrated by this or at least annoyingly, burns the skin.
simple experiment: A small quantity of In the third place there is a strong ten-
oil placed in the center of the surface dency for the oiler to use more oil than
of water contained in a beaker spreads is necessary on the first part of the trip
in all directions towards the side of the in order to lighten the burden. The out-
oontainer. The oil film, unless an excess fit on the other hand is well constructed
of oil is used, is held a short distance and resists all sorts of abuse. The nozzle
from the sides of the beaker by differences is easily cleaned if it becomes plugged
in surface tension. In the field this con- with foreign matter.
dition is accentuated. Mosquito larvae, Several types of Pneumatic Com-
and especially Anopheles larvae, com- pressed Air Spray tanks and nozzles were
monly seek shelter along the sides of tested over a period of three years. It
the container or ditch. Larvae may fre- was found that the Myers Pneumatic
quently be found in a ditch after it has Compressed Air Spray tank, fitted with
been oiled in the ordinary manner, for a 2X2 foot extension and a graduating
the oil film often does not reach the sides vermorel nozzle, gave the best satisfaction
of the ditch. This is even more true in and was the most economical. The ca-
ditches containing running water where pacity of the tank is 3 gallons and it is
the oil film seldom reaches the pockets carried in the hand or suspended from
along the sides unless great pains are one shoulder. The oil cannot be spilled
taken to'place it there. Anopheles larve and the oilers take great pride in keeping
usually infest these back-current pockets. the tanks clean, polished and in good re-
In order to overcome this difficulty it pair. The oil is put under pressure by
222 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
means of manipulating a pump handle, CONCLUSIONS
which operation must be repeated at not The cost of oil fortunately does not
infrequent intervals. The oil is released vary proportionately to the toxicity. The
only when the hand firmly clasps the toxicity of oils does not vary with the
spring valve. The graduating vermorel specific gravity. It is accordingly neces-
nozzle allows a perfect regulation ot the sary to test the toxicity of the available
oil spray by means of a needle valve and oils and to compare it with their cost.
will handle satisfactorily oils of practi- Under certain conditions, a mixture of
cally any specific gravity. kerosene having a high toxicity with fuel
The use of the extension allows the or crude oil having a low toxicity and low
oil to be placed at the exact spot that cost has proved economical. The oil or
it is desired to oil, regardless of the oil mixture should always be dark in color
velocity of the wind. Thus the portion in order that it may be easily seen on
most active in killing the mosquito larvae the surface of the water. Small quanti-
always reaches the water surface, and is ties of black fuel oil may be added to
not blown away as so frequently happens an oil of light color to meet this require-
when the spray passes through the air ment. It is usually more economical to
for a number of feet. Without the ex- use extremely small quantities of a highly
tension, or with a short extension, much toxic oil, distributed by means of a Myers
of the highly volatile and highly toxic Pneumatic Compressed Air Tank fitted
portion of the oil never reaches the water with a graduating vermorel nozzle and
surface in the ditch. The graduating 2X2 foot extension at intervals slightly
vermorel nozzle places the oil better than more frequent than the length of time
the other types tested and works satis- required to complete the life cycle of the
factorily when spraying at a minimum mosquito, than to use large quantities of
rate. Field tests checked the observations a heavy oil at somewhat less frequent
and field men supplied with these nozzles intervals dependent upon the evapora-
used less oil than when supplied with tion of the oil or the breaking of the oil
other types of nozzles. film.
Statistics on Street and Highway Safety.- per cent of all accidents ivere due to reck-
When the causes of death are tabulated less driving.
from year to year, almost every city in the In each state and community statutes should
United States has a record of an increasing be passed investing in some authoritative
number of deaths resulting from street and agency the right to investigate accidents.
highway accidents. In 1923 the loss in this This agency should collect all information
country due to such accidents amounted to regarding the accident, such as: recklessness,
22,600 human lives, 678,000 serious personal carelessness or incapacity of persons; faulty
injuries and $600,000,000 economic loss. Of mechanism of the vehicle; and physical con-
these accidents about 85 per cent were due ditions of the locality in which the accident
to automobile traffic. occurred. The committee would also make
Analysis of automobile fatalities in it obligatory by law for those concerned to
several states attribute the major number report all traffic accidents, providing an
of deaths to the operator. Of the 578 adequate penalty for failure to report.
automobile fatalities in Massachusetts for Even though the report is not a complete
1923, 218 deaths resulted from excessive and exact statement of the problem in
speed and 122 deaths from inattention. In statistical terms, it does serve as a general indi-
an analysis by the Department of Motor cation of the extent of fatal and non-fatal
Vehicles of Connecticut of 10,264 motor accidents caused by motor vehicles.-Report of
vehicle accidents, 57.8 per cent were due to the Committee on Statistics, Conference on
recklessness of the motorist. On the Wis- Street and Highway Safety, Dept. of Com-
consin State Trunk Highways in 1923, 41.3 merce, Nov. 3, 1924.