DOMESTIC ENTOMOLOGY IN WAR-TIME

Abstract

IT is a curious paradox that the cyclopean evil and stupidity of a world war stimulate intelligent co-operation within smaller spheres. Anyone who has read the pages of NATURE during the present War will be aware that men of science are giving serious thought to their organization, status and general relations with society. Progress has certainly been made in the allocation of research problems, collaboration between individuals and application of results. Unfortunately, much of what has been done lies under a war-time ban of secrecy, but anyone who knows something of the work of the Biological War Committee (see NATURE of February 28, pp. 227 and 234) is aware that this is so. It must, however, be admitted that the symposium on “Domestic Entomology” held by the Association of Applied Biologists on February 20 revealed a lack of coordination of this particular type of problem. The pest species discussed were not linked on anatomical, physiological or even ecological grounds but rather from considerations of the organization of advice and control. Domestic pest problems are constantly confronting sanitary inspectors and medical officers who usually pass them on to one research institute or another. It would seem desirable that the Ministry of Health should retain an entomologist to deal with such specialized problems.