The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-08-03

from eating injected 1000, ana, ii Lnls
10 true, then this contagion Is most
likely planted upon such food by flies
that obtain the infection from open
sores and the nasal and bronchial mucus
Of old cases, which is said TO TEEN with
bacill.
Now, let's picture TO you some of the
habits Of the fly, and then we shall see
II IL Is unreasonable TO believe that he
Il an important factor in the spread OF
disease. Turn about you and see the
swarms OK flies upon decaying vegetable
matter-in the garbage cans, on the
manure piles, everywhere. Watch the
flies swarming upon the filth Of the
streets, such as sputum and spit, and
bones and decaying vegetables, Follow
him further, and see him alighting upon
the candy offered for sale by the street
vendors, and on all the fruit at the
stands, especially the grapes and dates.
Don't tarTy too long here, for you will
be disgusted, and will cease TO eat fruit
favored with fly specks; keep right on
In the quest after this insects habits,
and notice the bakery where you buy
your bread and cakes and pies flies
there TO put on the finishing layer.
And the meats, have you observed how
they are carried In open wagons through
the streets without protection, covered
with flies, and then hung up in the shop
where these same flies and others
swarm upon them7 Cooking this meat
does not change the fact that this is
simply nasty. There is no other word
for Il.
Then, after you have been in the
butchers, keep right on to the restaurant
kitchens, and alleys back Of them, espe-
cially the cheap ones. don't say you
ever ate there, but II you ever have,
you won't go there again II you will
but make one visit TO these Kitchens.
But there are others who must, per-
chance, eat there, and IL Is these whom
we should protect, not alone from these
filthy insects, but from the disease
which they carry.
And we must 90 into the shops and
homes Of the poor those unfortunates
whose houses are not protected by
screens to keep out flies. There you
will be disRustedl Flies everywherel
In the children's mouth and noses; in
In the house, out Of the house; on the
food left there upon the table, which is
never cleared; on the food left over,
and which the children eat at all times
between meals; In the milk pitcher; in
the soup; In the molasses; in and upon
every conceivable thing! But at this
point l feel that you are beginning TO
doubt. You are saying TO yourselves
that IL 10 true that the fly Is filthy, but,
you are even now saying that the food
Ia cooked, and that the process will kill
any bacteria that might have been
planted by flies. All, but you forget and
overlook the danger. II is granted that
cooking will destroy all Of these bacteria
readily, but II IL not here that the dan
ger lies. II IL the food which has been
cooked and upon which the fly after
ward alights that Is the real danger,
and the longer this food remains I'M
eaten after this contamination the
greater the probability that a colony has
grown, thereby increasing the dosage
Of infection. For you must De that in
cholera, say, where the fly planted but
q few bacilla on potatoes or a bread
pudding, or something left over from a
meal, q rapid growth would follow in a
few hours time, increasing thereby the
number Of bacteria enormously.
This Ia no idle picture Of the dangers
from fly infection. ! have spent con-
siderable time in watching flies, and
we know that their dejecta alone con.
tains millions Of bacteria. have fur
NOtItlOTC pau puENlOuIaL AtNSHblOI W
their habits In homes Of the poor, for
here Is where there is the greatest dan
ger. The poor, nearly universally, leave
their tables set with cold food lie I from
the previous meals. Flies assemble in
great numbers upon this food, and from
time to time the children run In and
help themselves, the remainder Of the
food being served at the next meal
Now, let ua suppose that there Is an
open privy on the premises or near by
but there IL no need for me 70 paint the
picture further. You know where that
Nv has been. II there are cases of
typhoid fever about, all the more prob
ability that the fly will carry the infec-
ton 20 Others. In the Philippines Il was
hard to check cholera because the flies
contaminated the foods and sweet stuffs
sold by the vendors. And II typhoid
fever and cholera, why not tuberculosis
and leproayi just spend some Of your
time watching flies after sputum and
spittle In your streets. Now, II there
IL q consumptive near who Ii careless,
~ most Of them are, Ia Il unreasonable
70 believe that flies take this sputum
and deposit Il on grapes and dates and
candies which you and your family eatf
or that, In the homes Of the poor, they
would not pick up the sputum OF q case,
either In the house or from q nearby
one, and deposit the bacilh on the left
over foodl
There Ia no need for me TO go on In
definitely enumerating things which you
know 10 be possible and probable eyes,
AetuAl-but about which you are more
l.. A N II a.