The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-10-11
DISTRIBUTORS OF DEATH.
FLIES AND MOSQUITOES A CON-
SLANT MENACE TO HEALTH.


Avoidance of These MaIadies Mace
the Subject Of Government lnves1''
sation-Fly Centaminates the Fooe:
Just at this time, When many peo'
pie are planning soJourn in the eeufi-
try in search of health and rest II rs
somewhat discouraging to be told that
the possibility of contracting any one
of several fatal maladies is much
greater i'll the country than IN the
city This iconoclastiC doctrine Is
announced under the seal Of the De
partment of Agriculture and therefore
demands considerate attention l.. y.
Howard. entomologist of the depart
ment, has just published a bulletin
entitled How Insects Affect Health in
Rural Districts" giving in some detail
the dangers of a country visit. 1t is
true that malaria and typhoid are
the principal diseases treated. but
there are a number of others named
which, while not so general, are still
more or less frequent III different
localities
Both malaria and typhoid prevail
in large cities. but they are essentially
diseases which are less easily prevent
able il the country than in built up
districts. Malaria has been long known
as a country disease. though its as
signed cause until very recently was
erroneous The old idea that malaria
was caused by breathing tie miasma
Of swamps has now been discarded
for the modern one that it is caused
by the bites of mosquitoes OF the
genus Anopheles. AS mosquitoes
breed in swampy places it was very
natural to suppose that the heavy
atmosphere common to such localities
was the disease carrying agency. The
fact that malaria IS only caused by
the bite Of mosquitoes is now proven
beyond the shadow of doubt
Cities in which malaria is at all
prevalent usually have adjacent
swamp lands although the infec ,ious
mosquitoes may and do breed in I'll
kinds of still water pools, such as
ponds, bitches, still water at the sides
of springs, and occasionally in old
horse troughs, etc. If one is going
to the country and wants to be i'm
mune from malaria, the department
expert recommends "a most thorough
search for all possible breeding places
within a radius of mile" This
limit is set as it is believed this par
ticular genus of mosquito rarely flies
very far. When the breeding places
are found they should be drained or
filled in with earth, or rendered un-
inhabitable to the Anopheles larve by
covering the surface Of the water with
kerosene. The Introduction Of GER
tain species of fish which prey on the
larve, such as top minnows, sickle
backs, young sunflsh and gold fish Is
also effective. These rather radical
measures should be accompanied by a
careful screening of the .ouse and the
destruction of any specimens that may
have found entrance. Assurance Is
given that if these directions are care
fully followed one may live In the
most malarious country without fear
of contracting the malady.
Typhoid in the country is result Of
the lacl of modern sanitary plunbin
and Underground drainage. In the
spread of this disease common house
flies are the main carriers. This was
conclusively proved by the Army Ty-
phoid Fever Commission, which in
vestigated the shocking spread Of the
disease at tie army concentration
camps in the summer of 1893. Unlike
the mosquito the fly does not introduce
the germs of the disease into the hu-
man system through bite, but by
communicating food supplies. The
common occurrence in the country
near to mans habitation Of stables.
which are exceptionally favorable
breeding places for flies. results in
large numbers of flies eventually find
ing their way into the kitchen. The
lack of under-drainage largely in
creases the opportunities o. these flies
becoming infected with typhoid germs,
through the existence of any one case
in the neigbborhood. These two con-
ditions, together with unfilterea water,
make typhoid a, special risk in the
country.