The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-07-12
FLIES AS CARRIERS OF DISEASE.
Some Seasonable Information Abont
Flies of Various Kinds-A Cam
paign Inaugurated Against
Them. ETC.. etc.


paign Inaugurated Against
Them, etc., etc.
The division of entomology of the Depart
ment of Agriculture has begun campaign
against the fly, which is held to be dangerous
carrier of disease. Pamphlets on the subject
have been prepared for distribution, and meth.
DDS of determination have been devised under
the supervision of DR.. o. L. Howard. chief of
the division. Already thousands of pamphlets
have been put into the hands of health boards
and farmers throughout the country. The
necessity has been urged of having better SAM
tation in the rural districts. As a result of
various experiments it is thought that the
number of flies will be rapidly and enormously
lessened during the present summer. The
pamphlets give to the people some information
concerning flies that hitherto has been in DOS
session of the scientist almost exclusively. II
will dispel the illusion that the common house
fly bites, but it will call attention to the fact
thatthis insect is a dangerous creature. Speak
ing upon this subject DIR. Howard says:
with disease caused by bacterial organisms
(which belong to the plant kingdom and not to
the animal kingdom) biting insect is not neces-
to the healthy one in the majority of cases.
Such diseases are notably typhoid fever, cholera
and pulmonary consumption.
with these diseases and especially the first
| two, the agency of the non-biting flies becomes
important, and the part they play in the trans
mission of typhoid fever is particularly notice
able.
may carry bacilli and bacteria on their feet.
| That was experimentally proved by allowing
flies to walk over culture, for later. when they
| walked over sterilized media, the bacteria de-
veloPed. 1000 ;.
italian investigator that flies fed upon purecul4
lures of typhoid bacillus were able to traflsInit
unstrated that flies are important agents In the
| transmission of Asiatic cholera. W s.as
| Typhoid fever, as will be remembered, doubt
| less, was astonishingly prevalent in the military
| camps of this country during the war with Spain.
| At that time the disease received thorough in
vestigation at the hands Of special commission
1T was shown that. although excellent pre-
| ventive measures had been recommended in the
circulars issued by the surgeon general of the
| army, these instructions were not carried out.
Files swarmed over the infected filth that ac-
| cumulated around camp and then proceeded
| to the mess tents and fed upon the food prepar-
ed for the soldiers. Thus by the agency of flies
it was discovered and proved beyond doubt
disease germs were spread and carried to the
For some time past have been carrying on
an investigation for the purpose of ascertaining
what flies breed in refuse of various sorts, and,
conversely, just what flies are found in dining
rooms and kitchens where food is being prepared
and served. These investigations | have con-
Quoted with the greatest care and in different
I'm this way large amount of material has
been gathered. Briefly summarized we have
found that the number of species of insects
which breed in filth containing germs is very
large. not less in fact, than Al species of beetles
and II species of flies. Some of these are scarce
and others are abundant. but all are more or
less dangerous as carriers and transmitters of
disease.
Nov, in the experiments carried on in order
to ascertain exactly which ones of these are i'm
portant in the disease breeding function, more
than 1880 flies were caught in kitchens and
dinlng-rooms in different parts of the country
from Massachusetts to California and from New
York to Louisiana.
ut was proved that of the flies breeding in
filth six species were found in houses in sutfi-
cient numbers to render them dangerous There
are other dangerous species which do not make
their rendezvous in kitchens and dining rooms.
AT the head of these six varieties must stand
the common house fly. This insect constituted
more than SO per cent of the whole number of
flies captured in kitchens and dining-rooms.
while it was by no means one of the species
most commonly captured in garbage and other
refuse, it was shown conclusively that under
certain conditions that insect may be factor of
the greatest importance in the spread of intes-
final diseases.
I'm the most clearly and best cared for por-
tons of large city these conditions, of course,
do not exist: The admirable water supply and
sewerage systems in such localities Obviate, in q
large measure, typhoid transfer possibilities.
Yet even in such places the danger may exist
But in army camps and in small towns and
about farmers houses where sewerage facilities
are lacking the housefy is constant source of
danger.
count of the structure of its mouth parts this is
physical impoSsibility. But it is none the less
dangerous for that reason.
while it does not inoculate the individual as
the mosquito does, it is a most active agent in
the transmission of disease because it commu-
nicates the germs to the food eaten by the peo-
pie:
I'm certain sections of the country there is a
common idea that flies bite before a rain. This
IS true, but 1T is not the housef1y that does the
biting. 1t is the stable fly which has particu-
larly exasperating bite, which is also to a GER
tain degree dangerous.
This is the fly which is probably responsible
d for the transfer of surra in the Philippines.
The approach of storm frequently drives It
into dwellings, where it is source of keen an
nOyance to the occupants
"The other species of flies which are of es-
pecal Importance are the little fruit flies so
commonly found in houses in the autumn at
tracted to overripe or decaying fruit, which
sometimes swarm in great numbers about fruit
stands in the markets. These also breed in filth
and play an important part in the disease-trans-
'1here is also the species known as the little
house fly, small insect with light-coored
abdomen, commonly found on windows, and 80
much like the ordinary house fly that it can
hardly be distinguished from it. 1t has, how
ever: piercing proboscis and bites severely.
THAT is enough concerning the variety of
flies. In brief the results of these observations
Indicate:
I'm the interest of health, and especially as
obviating the possibility of the transfer of ty-
phoid fever by flies, filth of every description
should be removed or buried forthwith.
Every effort should be made by boards of
health in cities and by private persons in the
country to limit the breeding of the common
house fly. In addition there should be strict
supervision of stables in which horses are kept
II have found by careful experimental work
with different insecticidal substance that chlor-
ide of lime is the most efficient thing that can
be applied to filth accumulations in such places
but the trouble is that chloride of lime is rather
expensive. At the stable of the department of
agriculture the refuse of the stalls is gathered
in one spot and treated to chloride of lime the
experiment proving so successful that the num-
Der of house flies in the whole neighborhood has
been lessened to a remarkable extent.
How do we propose to make war on these
pests? That is simple enough. The division of
entomology will send out literature of which
vast amount is being published, to health boards
and committees and individuals all over the
United States directing them as to the means
and materials to be used in killing Off flies and
employing preventive measures for the spread
and transmission of disease germs by these in
sects.
while this is being done experiments will be
conducted by the Government experts to dis
cover more efficient methods for carrying on
the campaign. Our first efforts will be to urge
upon the people the necessity of care.
determination, as far as possible, will come