The mosquito crusades

the long version

"Among the struggles of the twentieth century, the one between humans and mosquitoes may have been the most vexing, as demonstrated by the long battle to control these blood-sucking pests. As vectors of diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, and dengue fever, and as sources of torment, mosquitoes forced open a new chapter in the history of medical entomology and human attempts to suppress the insect world. Based on extensive use of primary sources, The Mosquito Crusades traces efforts to eliminate the mosquito blight from the New Jersey Meadowlands to San Francisco Bay." "Providing readers with a fascinating exploration of the relationship between science, technology, and public policy, Gordon Patterson's narrative begins in New Jersey with John B. Smith's effort to develop a comprehensive plan and solution for mosquito control, one that would serve as a national model. From the Reed Commission's 1900 yellow fever experiment to the first Earth Day seventy years later, Patterson provides an eye-opening account of the crusade to curb the mosquito menace."--Jacket.