224
Gene R. OeFoliart
With diflubenzuron, cladocerans (Daphnia spp.) and mayfly nymphs appear
particularly susceptible. Mulla et al. (1975) found that populations of both, plus
copepods and chironomid larvae, were temporarily depressed, while ostracods,
diving beetle larvae and adults, and odonate naiads were not affected. Miura
and Takahashi (1975) found that water fleas, in addition to mayfly nymphs and
cladocerans, suffered temporary reductions, but monthly treatments during a 4month period did not eliminate any of the populations. Adult aquatic beetles
were tolerant, and Pardosa and Lycosa spiders were not affected. Julin and
Sanders (1978) concluded that at rates effective against mosquito larvae
(0.02-0.04 lb/acre) diflubenzuron would have no effect on fish but that populations of daphnids (Daphnia magna) and scuds (Gammarus pseudolimnaeus)
would be reduced.
8.8. THE NEED TO APPL Y EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
Because of the initial successes with DDT, part of our problem today may
be that we have become so fascinated by the search for new "magic bullets"
that we have lost sight of the real goal-tbe delivery of health to people. There
is no doubt that new technology is needed and that we need more, not less, basic
research, but I think that there is a widening feeling among working scientists
within the biomedical sciences that we are not doing a very good job in applying
the technology that we have. In a recent editorial in Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene News, Gibson (1977) stated, in part:
On the one hand we can continue in the course of elite professionalism which has
marked most of our actions in the past. We can keep on running our immunoelectrophoresis experiments, studying our electronmicrographs, reporting at annual meetings, and publishing the results in prestigious journals. We can, in other words,
continue to be a Society which is almost completely research-orientated, with little
or no attempt to insure that our efforts help someone have better health. This is the
main highway, clearly marked out, well traveled, and relatively free of risks, except
the risk of complacency.
On the other hand, we can elect to travel from time to time on the poorly-marked
and less populated byway which branches off from the highway, now and again
touching the isolated villages and city slums of the Third World where live so many
millions of the world's undernourished, overdiseased, unproductive people. In other
words, we can become a Society concerned not only with new knowledge, but also
with the use of knowledge to improve the world's health, especially in the tropics.
This will be the. more difficult path to follow, and we run the risk of finding ourselves
in the strange company of sociologists, agronomists, sanitarians, economists, and
perhaps even politicians!
In response to the preceding, Thurber (1978) stated:
We can learn all there is to know about enzyme systems, fine structure, DNA metabolism, immune mechanisms, etc., and still make no inroads against tropical dis-
Gene R. OeFoliart
With diflubenzuron, cladocerans (Daphnia spp.) and mayfly nymphs appear
particularly susceptible. Mulla et al. (1975) found that populations of both, plus
copepods and chironomid larvae, were temporarily depressed, while ostracods,
diving beetle larvae and adults, and odonate naiads were not affected. Miura
and Takahashi (1975) found that water fleas, in addition to mayfly nymphs and
cladocerans, suffered temporary reductions, but monthly treatments during a 4month period did not eliminate any of the populations. Adult aquatic beetles
were tolerant, and Pardosa and Lycosa spiders were not affected. Julin and
Sanders (1978) concluded that at rates effective against mosquito larvae
(0.02-0.04 lb/acre) diflubenzuron would have no effect on fish but that populations of daphnids (Daphnia magna) and scuds (Gammarus pseudolimnaeus)
would be reduced.
8.8. THE NEED TO APPL Y EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
Because of the initial successes with DDT, part of our problem today may
be that we have become so fascinated by the search for new "magic bullets"
that we have lost sight of the real goal-tbe delivery of health to people. There
is no doubt that new technology is needed and that we need more, not less, basic
research, but I think that there is a widening feeling among working scientists
within the biomedical sciences that we are not doing a very good job in applying
the technology that we have. In a recent editorial in Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene News, Gibson (1977) stated, in part:
On the one hand we can continue in the course of elite professionalism which has
marked most of our actions in the past. We can keep on running our immunoelectrophoresis experiments, studying our electronmicrographs, reporting at annual meetings, and publishing the results in prestigious journals. We can, in other words,
continue to be a Society which is almost completely research-orientated, with little
or no attempt to insure that our efforts help someone have better health. This is the
main highway, clearly marked out, well traveled, and relatively free of risks, except
the risk of complacency.
On the other hand, we can elect to travel from time to time on the poorly-marked
and less populated byway which branches off from the highway, now and again
touching the isolated villages and city slums of the Third World where live so many
millions of the world's undernourished, overdiseased, unproductive people. In other
words, we can become a Society concerned not only with new knowledge, but also
with the use of knowledge to improve the world's health, especially in the tropics.
This will be the. more difficult path to follow, and we run the risk of finding ourselves
in the strange company of sociologists, agronomists, sanitarians, economists, and
perhaps even politicians!
In response to the preceding, Thurber (1978) stated:
We can learn all there is to know about enzyme systems, fine structure, DNA metabolism, immune mechanisms, etc., and still make no inroads against tropical dis-