DDT Could See Use in States
NEW YORK, N.Y.—An insecticide used by the military to eliminate the pests spreading typhus in Italy last year may prove to be a miracle cure for infestations in the United States after the war. The military uses of the powdered insecticide, known as DDT, remain secret for the most part, but the New York–based representative of the Swiss developer of the product yesterday outlined possible civilian uses. The chemical has proved extremely effective at killing flies, fleas, bed bugs, coddling moths, apple maggots, Colorado potato beetles, and a host of other pests. The manufacturer, Geigy Company, Inc., states DDT is harmless to humans and their pets. The chemical basis for DDT was developed in the late 19th century German chemistry student Othmar Zeigler and refined in 1939 by J.R. Geigy of Switzerland.
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