Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-06-26
DEATH Turks.
In the Common House Fly
Germs and Pollution.

WaShDurn, mas issued mOSt lmpoTU-
ant pamphlet on the "House Fly or
Typhoid Fly'," which seems SO timely
and which ought to be of such SUI
preme interest, that the Tribune gives
the matter place in it's columns as
warning and for the information OF
its readers. Mr.. Washburn says:
The name "Typhoid Fly" has been
proposed for our common house fly
because, although a large percentage
of typhoid comes from our water sup
ply, this insect, by carrying germs of
typhoid and depositing the same on
or in food, has been proved to be an
active means of spreading this dis
ease. 1t is claimed that there are in
this country annually over 100000
cases of typhoid, about one eighth of
these cases resulting fatally.
Not only is this insect menace to
children and adults in this connection,
but it is also dissemination of various
other deadly diseases, such as cholera
{the cholera germ as well as the
typhoid germ having been found in
fly specks,) tuberculosis and numer-
Gus other dangerous maIadies. This
filthy insect, then, is now known to
be serious menace to the health of
human beings, and an active cam
paign has been inaugurated against it.
The special danger of it's presence in
a house lies in the fact that in addi-
ton to the germs being able to pass
through the alimentary canal and still
retain their vitality, it can carry upon
its feet and upon the hairs of it's body
thousands of germs which, introduced
into the intestinal tract of man, may
cause typhoid and other intestinal dis
eases, as well as consumption, and
further be cause of inoculating
wounds or abrasions upon the skin. 1t
will therefore, be seen that the house
fly may be the means of transporting
desease quite distance, and may pos
sibly be the cause of an epidemic sud-
denly appearing in a locality for
which no reason can be assigned.
The following quotation from a
leading entomologist, while not pleas
ant, is certainly suggestive, and de-
serves place in any article on the
house fly.
Gin the course of a very few mo-
ments single fly might crawl over
excrement, sip from glass of milk
or water, and merrily chase across
dish mashed potatoes and other
human food. 1t may visit dead and
decaying animal, or sport about the
mouth of reeking sewer, and in the
next five minutes sit upon the edge
of a glass of jelly or alight in the
sugar bowl. 1t may visit the body of'
an animal that has died of anthrax
and little later brush across lacer-
ated hand or cheek"
Bread, pastry, candy, fruit and vege-
tables exposed for sale without being
covered, are subject to visits of flies,
which may previously have crawled
over the filth of the street or sewer or
privy. An abundance of intestinal
disease is contemporaneous with the
greatest abundance of the house fly,
that is, during the hottest period of
midsummer, showing connection
between these two. AS many as one
hundred thousand bacteria, which
came from matter voided from the in
testine, have been found to be pre-
sent on one fly. In our late war with
Spain it was declared on reliable au-
thority, and from actual data, that
while we lost only two hundred and
fifty men, practically, by bullets, we
lost five thousand through the agency
of house flies. This refers to criminal
negligence in connection with the
hospitals. The trenches containing
the excrement of typhoid patients
not being covered, and the flies, after
crawling over this germ laden matter,
flying to the mess tables of our sold
iers, and polluting the food thereon.
The house fly passes the winter in
some snug retreat, either as perfect
insect, or as pupa, appearing on the |
scene in the first warm days of spring. |
The female lays hundred Or more |
eggs, each egg being about one
twentieth of an inch in length, which |
quickly hatch into maggots. These
become full grown in about six days. !
The pupal or resting state lasts six
days. There are, therefore, from ten
to twelve days from the egg to the |
perfect fly. They breed primarily in
fresh horse manure, hence the more
of this waste that is allowed to ac-
cumulate, and the nearer it is to the
dwelling house, the more will said
dUol1ipn hnuca ha troublad nv flies |