Original scientific paper
FROM GAMBUSIA FISH TO THE PARIS GREEN CHEMICAL: HOW MALARIA WAS OVERCAME IN ISTRIA
Milan Radošević
; Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of Historical and Social Sciences in Rijeka, Branch office in Pula, Pula, Croatia
Abstract
In his article the author addresses the questions of introduction, role and success of biological and chemical larvicide methods applied to fighting malaria in the Istrian Province during the Italian government between the two world wars (1918-1940). Since the late Middle Ages the disease represented a continual demographic, economic and health problem for the Istrians, especially those inhabiting the coastal areas where the disease was endemic due to geological and climate characteristics of those areas. After the disease cause and vector were discovered by the end of 19th century, specific methods for the eradication of malaria were started in Istria as well like prescribing quinine to the population and the extermination of mosquito larvae. As the pools, mosquitos’ natural habitat, could not be drained because there were no water supply lines in rural areas, other solutions had to be applied along with the use of larvicide, petroleum in the first place. However, it was not before the 20s of the 20th century that some really encouraging results were obtained with the introduction of Gambusia fish and the chemical Paris Green which by the end of the 30s resulted in a near extermination of the disease. The central figure as for the introduction of Gambusia to Europe was Professor Massimo Sella, director of the Marine Biology Station for the Adriatic in Rovinj from 1924 to 1943.
Keywords
malaria; Gambusia; Paris green; larvicides; Istria; Province of Istria; Massimo Sella
Hrčak ID:
113051
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2013.
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