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Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1787, 4 November 1862, Page 3

ANTIDOTE TO MOSQUITO BITES. Odtfide the town, mosquitoes are one of the greatest of the trials of a petty character which sniiie of the settlers have to endure in the summer months. Townspeople visiting the country are more, liable to be annoyed by them than the country people, and many a few day's holiday is often rendered wholly ineffectual for the purposes for which it was sought, in consequence of the worry and want of sleep which these creatures bring about The discovery of an antidote would t>e a great boon to both glasses, but especially to the latter. One of our P. D's., in the course of his literary pursuits, having found mention made of a cheap and ready antidote, has, with that commendable esprit de corps which animates every department of our establishment, communicated it to us for the especial benefit of those whose sweet blood or tender skin render them the peculiar objects of mosquito attraction.

The passage following, is from Mayne Reid's " Hunter's Feast/ ■

We were dreadfully annoyed by the mosquitoes, "particularly the doctor, of whose blood they seemed to be especially fond ! This is a curious fact in relation to the mosquitoes — of two persons sleeping in the samo apartment, one will sometimes be bitten or rather punctured, and half bled to death, while the other remains untouched ! Is it the quality of the blood or the thickness of the skin that guides to this preference ? This point was discussed amongst us— the doctor taking the view that it was always a sign of good blood when one waa more than usually subject to the attack of mosquitoes; He washing self an apt illustration of the fact. This statement of course produced a general laugh, and some remarks at the doctor's expense, on the part of the opponents of his theory. Strange to say, Old Ike was fiercely assailed by the little blood-suckers. This seemed to be an argument against the doctoi"'s theory, for in the tough skinnny carcass of the old trapper, the blood could neither have been very plenteous nor delicate. Most of us smoked as we rode along, hoping by that means to drive off the ferocious swarm, but although tobacco smoke is disagreeable to the mosquitoes, they cannot be wholly got rid of by a pipe or cigar. Could one keep a constant nimbus ol the smoke around his face it might be effective, but not otherwise. A sufficient quantity of tobacco smoke will kill mosquitoes outright, as I have more than once proved by a thorough fumigation of my sleeping apartment. - These insects are not peculiar, as sometimes supposed, to the inter-tropical regions of America. They are found in great numbers even to the shores of the Arctic Sea, and as fierce and bloodthirsty aa anywhere else — of course only in the summer season, when, as before remarked, the thermometer in these Northern latitudes mounts to a high figure. Their haunts are the banks of rivers, and particularly those of a stagnant and muddy character. There is another singular fact in regard to them. Upon the banks of some of the SouthAmerican rivers, life is almost unendurable on account of this pest— the " plaga de mosquitoa.' as the Spaniards terra it — while upon other stream in the very same latitude musquitoes are unknown These streams are what are termed " rios negros ,' or black-water rivers — a peculiar class of rivera, to which many tributaries of the Amazon and Orinoco belong. Our English comrade, who had travelled al over South America, gave us this information as we rede along. He stated that he had often considered it a great relief, a sort of escape from purgatory, while on his travels he parted from one of the yellow or white water streams, to enter one of the " rios negros." Many Indian tribes settled upon the banks of the latter solely to get clear of the "plaga de viosquitos ." The Indians who reside in the mosquito districts habitually paint ( their bodies, and smear themselves with oil, as a protection agaiust their bites ; and it is a common thing among the natives, when speaking of any place, to inquire into the " character " of its mosquitoe3! On some tributaries of the Amazon the tnoaquitoes are really a life torment, aud the wretched creatures who inhabit such places frequently bury their bodies in the sand in order to get sleep ! Even the pigments with which they anoint them. telvca are pierced by the poisoned bills of their tormentors. Besancou and the Kentuclcian both denied that any species of ointment would serve as a protection against mosquitoes. The doctor joined them in their denial. They asserted that they had tried everything that could be thought of — camphor, ether, hartshorn, spirits of turpentine, &-G. Some of us were of a different opinion, and Ike settled the point soon after in favour of tha dissentients by a practical illustration. The old trapper, as before " stated, was a victim to the fiercest attacks, as was manifested by the slapping which, he repeatedly administered to his cheeks, and an almost constant muttering of bitter imprecation?, He knew a remedy lie said in a " sartint weed," if ho could only "lay his claws upon it." We noticed that from time to time as ho rodealong his eyes swept the ground iv every direction. At length a, joyous exclamation told that he had discovered the " weed." " Thm's the darned thing at last," muttered he, as he flung himself to the ground, and com. menced gathering the stalks of a small herb that grew plentifully about. It was an annual, with leaves very much of the size and shape of young garden box-wood, but of a much brighter green. Of course we all knew well enough what ifc was, for there is not a village " common " in the Western United States that is not covered with it. It waa the well known "penny-royal" (Hedeoma puleqioides), not the English herb of that name, which is a species of mentha, Redwood also leaped from his horse, and set to plucking the " weed." He too, from experience, knew its virtues. We all drew bridle, watching the guides. Both operated in a similar manner. Having collected a handful of the tenderest tops, they rubbed them violently between their palms — rough and good for such service — and then passed the latter over the exposed skin of their necks and faces. Ik© took two small bunches of stalks, crushed them under his heel, and then stuck them beneath, his cap. so that the ends hung down over his cheeks. This being done, he and his comrade mounted their horses and rode on. Some of vs — the huiter-naturalist, the Englishman, and myself. — dismounted and imitated Ike — of course under a volley of laughter and "pooh-poohs" from Besancon, the Kentuckian, and the doctor ; but we had not ridden two hundred paces until the joke changed sides. From that moment not s mosquito approached us, while* our three friends were bitten as badly as ever. In the end they were convinced, and the tor-, ment of the mosquitoes proving stronger than the fear of our ridicule, nil three sprang out of their saddles, and made a rush at the next bed of penny-royal that came in sight. [ Whether st is the highly ai'omatic odour of the penny-royal that keeps off these insects, or whether thn juice when touched by them burns the delicate nerves of their feet . I am uuable to say. Certain it is they will not alight upon the skin which has been plentifully anointed with it, I have tried the same experiment often since that time with a similar result, and in fact have never since travelled through a mosquito country without a provision of the " essence of penny-royal." This is better than the herb itself, and' can be obtained from any apothecaiy. A single drop or two spilled in the palm of the hand is sufficient to rub over all the parts exposed, and will often ensure sleep, where otherwise such a thing would be impossible. I have often lain, with my face so smeared, and listened to the sharp hum of tha mosquito, as it approached, fanoying that the next moment I should feel its tin}' touch, as it settled down upon my cheek, or brow. An soon, however, as ifc came within the influence of the pennyroyal I could hear it suddenly tack round and wing its way off again, until its disagreeable •' music ■' was no longer heard. " The only drawback in the use of the pennyroyal lies in the burning sensation which the fluid produces upon the skin ; and this in a climate where the thermometer is pointing to 90 o is no slight disqualification of the remedy. The use of it is sometimes little better than " Hobson's choice." " The application of it on the occasion men* tioned restored the spirits of our party, which, had been somewhat kept under by the ooaiinuousj attacks of the mosquitoes, and a lively littie incident that occurred soon after, viz., the hunt and capture of a racoon, made ua all quite merry."

Crinoline' boasts still another victim. A- young i married lady, named Padley, living in Buckingham terrace, Bayawater, was burnt to death on the 10th August through her muslin dress, which was distended by crinoline, coming in contapt with the fire in the grate when she was crossing the room. Dr. Lankester, who, as corone,r, had to preside over the inquiry as to, the cause of death, expressed his belief that cases 'of ■a li 4.miUr kind were frightfully numerous, and if ft&y 13 were, all published, crinoline would Boon Bo "abWdonedi^ . At Verona, a few days back an Italian Countess lout her life in, the Bam© way. T -' i ,' -„ -., j y