Leprosy : flies in relation to the transmission of the disease a preliminary note / James A. Honeij and Ralph R. Parker.

  • Honeij, James A. (James Albert), 1880-
Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Leprosy : flies in relation to the transmission of the disease a preliminary note / James A. Honeij and Ralph R. Parker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/8 page 127
    LEPROSY: FLIES IN RELATION TO THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE.* (A Preliminary Note.) JAMES A. Honey, M.D., AND RALPH R. PARKER, B.Sc. (Pentkese Hospital Laboratory.) We have undertaken a systematic examination of flies and fly excreta in an attempt to determine whether the bacillus of leprosy may be so conveyed. Some experimenters, notably Leboeuf,' Currie,? and Wherry,’® have made observa- tions, but there is still insufficient evidence on which to base definite conclusions. Currie expresses his surprise that, not- withstanding the interest shown on the subject of insects and particularly flies as carriers of disease, published researches are so few as regards leprosy and flies. The conclusions from these few reports are of a positive nature, showing the possibility of the transmission of leprosy from patients to healthy individuals through flies depositing their excreta containing bacilli on the skin where there is a possibility of the bacilli being rubbed in. z The numerous observations made with other diseases and - their transmission by flies are well known and form a good foundation for further work along these lines. Having Currie’s and Leboeuf’s work in mind, we commenced the following experiments. After a considerable number of preliminary steps, we attempted to determine: : a. The length of time for complete engorgement of the fly; b. The average length of time before the digestive tract was empty ; c. The average number of excreta deposits per fly; dae ne average lenoth of time before first excreta deposit. * Received for publication Feb. 19, 1914.
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