ENTOMOLOGY

THE BEDBUG AND OTHER BLOODSUCKING BUGS 401Ha:mato8iphon inwdora Duges is a native American bug related tothe bedbug, found in the Southwestern States and Mexico. It wasprobably originally a parasitic messmate of birds and bats, but has nowbecome an important poultry pest, and in those regions, due to the closeassociations between poultry and human beings, is often a serious housepest.TREATMENT OF BITESTo allay the irritation caused by the bite of the bedbug T)eroxideof hydrogen, or dioxygen, may be used with good results.Tincture of iodine is also a good counterirritant.CONTROL MEASURESThere is practically no information on adequate methods of controllingthe TIjatomas.The bedbug when badly infesting houses may be controllcd by fumigation~ith hydrocyanic acid gas at the rate of 10 ounces of cyanid$! foreach 1,,000 cubic f~et, or fumes of sulphur at the rate of five pounds per1,000 cubic fect. Such fumigation should be carried out as describedelsewhere (p. 325).In cases of moderate infestation it is possible at a slightly greatercost of time and personal ~ffort, to eradicate the bugs by a liberaluse of benzine or kerosene, introduced with small brushes or feathers, orby injecting with syringes into all crevices of beds, furniture, or wallswhere the insects may have concealed themselves.Corrosive sublimate and also oil of turpentine may be used in thesame way.Careful inspection of beds and bedding, particularly mattresses, isimportant in any attempt to free a house of the bugs. The use of ironbedsteads and bedding which is easily examined and treated facilitatescgntrol.Travelers frequently have their luggage infested while at hotels andin trains. On arrival at home it would be well to carefully examine theclothing before putting it away.Very frequently bedbugs are introduced into homes with laundry workwhich is carried to the home of the washwoman. Such wash work shouldbe carefully i.nspected on receipt.'LIST OF REFERENCESBlacklock, B., 1914.-Brit. Med. Journ., April ~5, pp. '91~-918.Brumpt, E., 191~.-Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., vol. 5, No.6, pp. 860-867.