Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-20
BEWARE OF THE FLY!

1
The common house fly, once regard
ed as a merely harmless but annoying
creature. bids fair, with the progress
Of knowledge as to its real habits and
| possibilities for evil 70 be regarded as
| one of the worst enemies of mankind.
In his place. the fly is a good scav-
onger But his place is never on the
inside OF the dwelling house. and
much less upon the dinlng-room table
at mealtime,
A writer in the New York Tribune
remarks that the fly will soon he with
us and we are warned to regard his
buzz as we would the danger signal Of
rattlesnake, and to take whatever
immediate precautions are possible
committee in New York and n
committee in Liverpool have published
reports of Investigations showing that
the common house fly is responsible for
an enormous human death roll. This
familiar occupant Of our homes. feebly
combated with screens and sticky pa
deaths from typhoid fever and 1000
deaths from other intestinal diseases
in New York every year. The fly is
not the originator of disease, but the
carrier Of it. and all his habits make
him an ideal agent to spread the
germs OF sickness and death. One
New York fly, captured while con the
way to the nearest milk pitcher" and
put under the microscope, was found
to be carrying 100000 fecal bacteria
ON its mouth and legs. Another specl-
men WIS allowed TO walk on the sur
face of sterile culture solution and in
a few days the invisible zigzag tracks
blossomed into sight with myriad
bacteria of disease.
The mosquito Is thoroughly hated:
yet in addition to the venomous sting.
this insect in our latitude carries only
the malaria, and was responsible for
only the $50 reported cases and SO
deaths reported in the metropolitan
district OF New York last year. Though
In the tropics the mosquito conveys
the yellow fever by its bite, yet in tho
United States the fly must be regard
ed as mans greatest insect enemy.
TO destroy all the wolves and grizzly
bears in North America would be cas-
Ter than to exterminate the flies.
Linnaeus observed long ago that three
canlvorous flies and their multiplying
offspring would eat the carcass of an
OK as fast as a lion. The swift hatch
ing swarms of larvae would consume
the flesh and get down to the skeleton
In three days. One able bodied house
fly, laying her first batch of 100 eggs
in the beginning Of May, viii have
more descendants by the end Of Sep
TENDER than Adam has been blessed
with. Her progeny will reach into the
sextillions.
A committee of the Merchants AS
ISOLATION OF New York is now consid-
ering the pollution OF city waters and
is also seeking to arouse the entire
country to the great fly menace and to
obtain suitable state and national legis
latlon against the pest, meanwhile Of
fering local measures Of palliatlon.
The committee has requested the
railroads responsible for the main
tcnance OF the greatest ny breeding
places in the metropolitan district. the
piles OF horse manure heaped along
side the railroad tracks in the Jersey
meadows to disinfect or remove them.
This stable product brought from the
city and destined for the farmers use,
has been heaped in the open for many
years. and although II is not owned
by the railroads. they are considered
responsible for it's unsanitaIy condition.
Myriads Of the files that breed there
find shelter at night In the freight cars
stored In the railroad yards on the
meadows and with the moving OF the
cars are distributed to many cities
within radius OF several hundred
miles.
The committee Is also preparing to
distribute cards for the general edu-
cation OF the public prescribing tho
following rules:
AN refuse which tends in any way 10
fermentation, such as BEDDING straw.
old rags, paper waste aud vegetable
natter should be disposed OF or COW
cred with lime or a solution Of naris
green.
screen an food
Keep streets and alleys clean.
Keep stable manure In vault or pit
screened, and sprinkle surface with
lime on other cheap preparation,
'See that your sewage system ~ In
good order that II does not leak. and
il up 10 date
Cover food, and after a meal bury
or burn table refuse.
Pour Kerosene into al drains
'screon an food exposed for sale.
screen all windows and doors as
pecially the kitchen ana dining room.
hhln pyrothrum powder In the
house 10 KIN the dice.
cleanliness Is the watchword OF this
hght"
Pyrethun powder sometimes called