Dr。Howard’sbookdeclaresthat，inordertoridaneighborhoodofmosquitoes，itisonlynecessarytopouralittlepetroleum，orkeroseneoil，intothestagnantwaterwheretheybreed。Onceaweektheoilshouldbeused，\"attherateofonceounceforeveryfifteensquarefeetofwater-surface，andaproportionatequantityforanylesssurface。\"……Butpleasetoconsidertheconditionsinmyneighborhood！
IhavesaidthatmytormentorscomefromtheBuddhistcemetery。Beforenearlyeverytombinthatoldcemeterythereisawater-receptacle，orcistern，calledmizutame。Inthemajorityofcasesthismizutameissimplyanoblongcavitychiseledinthebroadpedestalsupportingthemonument;
butbeforetombsofacostlykind，havingnopedestal-tank，alargerseparatetankisplaced，cutoutofasingleblockofstone，anddecoratedwithafamilycrest，orwithsymboliccarvings。Infrontofatombofthehumblestclass，havingnomizutame，waterisplacedincupsorothervessels，——forthedeadmusthavewater。Flowersalsomustbeofferedtothem;andbeforeeverytombyouwillfindapairofbamboocups，orotherflower-vessels;andthese，ofcourse，containwater。Thereisawellinthecemeterytosupplywaterforthegraves。Wheneverthetombsarevisitedbyrelativesandfriendsofthedead，freshwaterispouredintothetanksandcups。Butasanoldcemeteryofthiskindcontainsthousandsofmizutame，andtensofthousandsofflower-vesselsthewaterinallofthesecannotberenewedeveryday。Itbecomesstagnantandpopulous。Thedeepertanksseldomgetdry;——therainfallatTokyobeingheavyenoughtokeepthempartlyfilledduringninemonthsoutofthetwelve。
Well，itisinthesetanksandflower-vesselsthatmineenemiesareborn：
theyrisebymillionsfromthewaterofthedead;——and，accordingtoBuddhistdoctrine，someofthemmaybereincarnationsofthoseverydead，condemnedbytheerrorofformerlivestotheconditionofJiki-ketsu-gaki，orblood-drinkingpretas……AnyhowthemalevolenceoftheCulexfasciatuswouldjustifythesuspicionthatsomewickedhumansoulhadbeencompressedintothatwailingspeckofabody……