Mosquito Experiments at Mound

From the August 14, 1975 Centennial Edition Madison Journal

Since about 1890, the U.S. Bureau of Entomology has conducted investigations into the mosquito. Long before any mosquitoes had been incriminated as a disease-carrier, the bureau had justified its work because of the discomfort to humans and animals caused by the bites of these annoying insects.

Working in the respective fields of malaria and yellow fever, Ronsen Ross, an Englishman, and Walter Reed of the United States demonstrated around the turn of the century that certain mosquitoes are the intermediate hosts of the organisms causing the two diseases.

With this revelation, the work of the Bureau of Entomology on mosquitoes took on a new impetus. The Bureau undertook studies to determine the species of mosquitoes transmitting disease in this country. The new investigations were pushed by a leading insurance company, as well as by Governors and Congressmen in the Southern states, where malaria was the most widespread.

Malaria, now almost completely wiped out in this country, is a long-lasting disease with intermittent symptoms. It is caused by a parasite which reproduces asexually. When the parasite divides, usually every three days, the host victim experiences chills. Malaria can remain dormant for years until a bad illness or accident produces symptoms.

The economic effects of malaria were felt mainly in absenteeism due to sickness. The sawmill at Mound would almost have to hire two men to get the work of one. Madison Parish had the highest per capita rate of purchases of quinine and chill tonic (the commonly sold malaria cures) of any parish or county in the country.

Such evidence of Madison's high rate of malaria convinced the Bureau of Entomology to establish an experimental laboratory there. The "mosquito lab" was set up at Mound in 1913 to provide a center where suitable facilities would be available to carry on and expand earlier studies on disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Mound was selected as the site for the laboratory partly because the local authorities, Col. F. L. Maxwell and George S. Yerger offered full cooperation in carrying on the work, as did Alex Clark, manager of Hecla Plantation, and Dr. William P. Yerger, the resident physician.

The work program as outlined initially included investigations to determine the actual losses to rural industries caused by malaria carrying mosquitoes; the local and regional distribution of such species of mosquitoes; their breeding places and habits under the peculiar conditions making for parasite development and transmission of the parasites to humans; and the development of appropriate prevention and control methods.

During the ensuing years that the laboratory was continued at Mound, the staff engaged in a great variety of activities having to do with malaria and mosquitoes. The results of these were reported on before scientific groups at meetings and conferences, and duly published in appropriate journals.

Many investigations were initiated to determine the relative values of various anti-mosquito and anti-malaria measures such as screening, the use of medications, insecticides and repellents, clearing and drainage, impoundment of waters. etc.

The Mound laboratory did the first experimental work in using fluctuating water levels to control mosquito development. Walnut Bayou was the scene of these early experiments. Also, using airplanes supplied by the boll weevil station, the mosquito lab did the first airplane spraying of mosquito larvae.

The information assembled as a result of these studies contributed greatly toward the later preparation of a "mosquito bulletin" under the authorship of W.V. King. George Bradley and Travis McNeel. The bulletin, entitled "The Mosquitoes of the Southeastern United States," came into wide use by workers engaged in mosquito control both in this country and abroad. A revised and expanded version of this bulletin is now available as Agriculture Handbook number 173 from the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.

Over the years that the laboratory was continued at Mound it was host from time to time, to numerous specialists, both from this country and abroad, concerned with mosquito and malaria control problems. They came to observe the activities in progress and to discuss the problems of a like nature with which they were faced.

At one time the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation stationed a number of its staff personnel at Mound, where they not only studied the activities underway, but carried out a number of special studies related specifically to their malaria control work in foreign fields.

The regularly employed staff at the laboratory never was large, usually numbering not more than three or four professional individuals. On occasion, principally during the summer months, temporary assistance was rendered by college students on vacation.

World War I interrupted the work of the laboratory. Three staff members—A. H. Green, G. H. Bradley and T. F. O'Neil—left during August 1917 and Dr. Van Dine, first director of the station left shortly thereafter, all to serve as U. S. Army officers for the duration. In their absence M. T. Young, then assigned to the boll weevil laboratory in Tallulah, was in charge.

Captains Van Dine and Bradley returned to Mound in late 1919 to continue their activities and were joined about 1924 by Travis McNeel and H. E. Wallace. Dr. W. V. King who had been temporarily assigned to New Orleans came to Mound about 1920 and was placed in charge of the laboratory when Van Dine left to accept a position in Pennsylvania.

Mound Mosquito Lab in 1917

King, Bradley and McNeel remained as the laboratory staff until its closing. They went to World War II in 1941 and all reached the rank of Colonel.

Col. McNeel of course still lives in Tallulah, and is president of the library board. Another Tallulahan, John Thompson, was custodian and janitor while the lab was at Mound and was transferred to Orlando, Fla. when the laboratory was relocated. He since has returned to Tallulah and lives on West Levee Street.

Upon removal of the laboratory to Florida in 1931 emphasis was changed from malaria related activities to those concerned with the biology and control of so-called pestiferous mosquitoes and other insects affecting the comfort and health of man. These are still continuing.

About 10 years after the Mound lab was transferred to Florida, workers in other laboratories developed DDT as an insecticide. This poison enabled scientists to wipe out malaria in this country.

It had been discovered earlier that the malaria-carrying mosquitoes would remain outside in the grass, then move into houses and rest on the walls until night. Then they would feed on sleeping humans and move back to the wall, where they would stay, heavy with blood, until almost light, when they would return to the grass.

Since the mosquitoes were on the walls twice every night, they could be controlled by applications of DDT to the walls of every house. The Communicable Disease Center, following World War II, provided funds to spray rural houses of the malarial belt twice yearly with DDT.

The malaria carrying mosquitoes were killed off for a period, during which time all cases of malaria originating in this country disappeared.