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A long time ago, an enterprising grocer in Baghdad claimed that he invented a powder that can be used to get rid of mosquitoes which used to plague the city during the hot, dry summer months and was the cause of spreading malaria.
One Shabbath, an announcement was made as was the custom to inform the people about the new powder, adding that the direction for use would be announced as soon as a sufficient number of people had bought the packet of powder. Three weeks later the announcement was made of how to deal with the powder as follows: catch the mosquito then open its mouth and put a little of the powder in the mouth. It is guaranteed that the mosquito would die in a very short time!
I remembered the above anecdote when I heard on the radio the other day that New York City had been infested with deadly mosquitoes, causing panic in the city, so that Central Park closed to the public. At the same time an American scientist announced his method in dealing with the epidemic: catch the mosquito and have it operated upon to change one of its genes so that it no longer remains a carrier of malaria and other diseases. Then release the mosquito in the air in the hope that other mosquitoes will follow suit!
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