The Democratic advocate., 1909-06-11
FLIES And THEIR FEET
ARE CHIEF AGENTS IN THE SPREAD OF
TYPHOID FEVER.


Those who are observant have prob
ably noticed that every warm day
brings few flies into tine house. Most
Of those which have already made
their appearance are small, and evil
dentlyyoung Thus far they have given
little trouble, but the time Is near
at hand when they will come in
ewarms, and, having acquired cour-
age from familiarity with mankind,
will proceed to make nulsanees OF
themselves. The good old summer
time" has it's. drawbacks. and the
musca domestica, or common house
| ny Is one of the worst OF them ALL
II is commonly believed that flies
remain In the house all winter, hiber-
I mating In cracks and sheltered places.
1 This, IL true at all. is true to a very
| limited extent, and It Is safe 10 as
sumo that 90 per cent. at least, OF the
| flies found indoors In summer have
come In through the open windows
and doors Flies are flthborn, and
never outlive their preference for the
conditions which created them, but
they are eager for dainty food when
they can get iI and the moment a fly
I gets into the house he makes for the
I places where food Is kept OF exposed,
climbs over II and makes himself as
much at home, and in much the same
way, as hog in a trough of swili. As
was forcihiy pointed out In a pam
phlet pulished In the spring OF 1903
/ by the Merchants Association OF New
! York, Il never wipes It's feet"
Passing with the indifference of
the professional scavengeI from the
naatiest, filthiest and most dangerous
products Of organic decomposition TO
the bread. and butter. and cake Of the
family table, Il leaves behind Il foot
prints which are often and perhaps
nearly always, niduHeH Of pathoRenic
bacteria. This has been eoncluaiyclY
established by cultures on Relattue
plates over which flies have been per
mitted to walk Flies caught In the
rooms ~ patients suffering from ty-
phOld fever smallpox. scarlet fever,
tuberculosis and other Diseases have
been examined under the microscope.
ard IN nearly every Instance {, has
been found that they nre not only COW
erred hui fiiin. With the special har-
tcrib ~ these diseases In single
"fYsssck7 about the aiEs of q period
used In punctuating an American cdi-
toriai article, ~ many a. three fbou-
sand typhoid baciili have been found
Careful observations have established
the fact that the spread ~ typhoid
fever 10 the field Is affected chiefly
By the agency 0f flies. and hacterlol-
ogistN are reaching the conclusion
that great many other forms 81 con
iagion and infection are prOpagated
iu the same way.
Even those upon which statements
Of this kind however, we'll supported
By scientific authority. make little or
no impression would shudder ~ the
thought 0f eating what the rs hna
walked over and probed here and
there. " they could see what the mi-
icroecepiat sees when he looks for what
he has left behind him Eliminating
the IDEA of specific danger. it should
not be agreeable TO Fight.minded
human being 70 have his food pniint.
Cd by the 9th which the ny carries
| With him. Thofe IL no fouleF thing IN
nature than the fiy The carrion
crow and the buEzRrd are lmulhcul.
late compared with him
To keep liies out of q house In
wolves very little expense and no more
trouble than the immunity from an.
nuyanpe ~ worth Window screens
and wire outside doorp are insxpen-
siSe fIXiurrH. ana why any household
should be- content 90 be without them
passes comprehension. II IL a mis-
take 10 delay installing these essen
tlni agencies uf protection for health
and comfort Until hnt weather IL
reached The flies of May are Just
90 dirty and Just Ha dangerous AZ
ftDae NJ Igly Once ln the house their
expulsion ih difficult They fiud plenty
20 feed upon, and are as much ~
home IN the garbage pail nv IN the
sugar bowl.
A house fires from aies and mos
I uuiioes IL the only homo ~ which
even an approximation 10 comfortable
living IL possible II h. moreover.
the only home IN which life and
health are as we'll safeguard a. pru-
deBce demands New York American