Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-13

The fight on the house fly that Is now
being made In the various cities of the
country has brought about complete
revolution of sentiment as to that insect.
When science came to look carefully into
his habits, Mr.. Fly was found not to be
the inoffensive sort of citizen he had al
ways been regarded. 1t had long been
known that he was bothersome, but he
was found to be a villain OF the deepes1
dye, killing more people every year than
are killed by all the murderers in the
world. He has been given a new name
since his true character has come to light,
a name which brands him wherever ne
goes-the typhoid fly" DR.. l.. Q. How
ard, the United States entomologist, has
selected that name for him. He agrees
that the term is a little harsh, as there
are other causes of typhoid, and says that
manure fly would fit him rather better,
since his favorite breeding place is in
horse manure. But for public use DR..
Howard thinks typhoid fly" is the best
name.
The evidence against the fly is complete,
and convincing. Many a murderer has
gone to the gallows on weaker. Not long
ago 414 flies were caught in different parts
of the country, and they carried an aver
age OF a million and quarter germs to
the fly. 1t may be said by the skeptic
that the fly is so small he cannot carry
filth. But II anyone win look at him
through a high-powered microscope the
error of such a conclusion will clearly be
seen. Under the microscope he becomes
the most fuzzy creature alive, hairy from
tip to toe, and terribly Indifferent about
keeping clean.
These 414 flies were caught in sterilized
nets, so that none of the germs found
could be laid to the account of the net.
Then each fly was placed In a separate
bottle which had been sterilized and filled
with a known quantity of sterilized water.
The ny wa allowed to swim around until
exhausted, and then a drop of the water
was placed under a miscroscope and the
germs counted. A careful record of each
ny was kept, and the germs found on
each were found to range from $50 to g.
6OO. 0o0-estimated. The next fly that falls
into the readers coffee or his milk may
leave six million germs in the cup!
The house fly is thoroughly omnivorous
He will eat anything that he comes
across. and the more filth there is the bet
ter 1t suits him. Breeding in manure by
preference he spends a fair share of his
living days In such surround =. He flies
direct from the manure heaps to our
portunity presents itself, and is always
laden with microscopic particles of filth,
and disease. Here again has Mr.. Fly
been caught with the goods on him."
as the police say. In the army camps
during the Spanish American war IL was
found that the flies which swarmed about
the latrines would come directly to the
mess tents, the white lime being plainly
visible on their feet In New York filth
xayoa ANrnd INTEL ~aI AL H., Il.
street Flies soon showed up in the
house with red on their feet.
The most startling and conclusive evil
dence that has been brought against the
fly is that gathered by DR.. Daniel D.
Jackson, in his investigation of the sub
tect OF harbor pollution at New York.
With his assistants he went into the
whole question with great thoroughness,
and his findings are noteworthy. He
found that in the neighborhoods of sewer
outlets the flies were most numerous, and
that in those same neighborhoods ty-
phoid fever and other intestinal diseases
were most prevalent. The number of vic
Tins of those diseases rose and fell with
the coming and passing of the fly tribe.
Daily examinations of captured flies were
made, and millions of germs were found.
In some instances the flies were carefully
washed and completely cleansed of germs.
They were then released and allowed to
swarm over infected material in the Iabo-
ratory. They collected as many germs the
second and third times as they did the
first In one instance hundred thousand
typhoid fever germs were found on sin
gle ny.
In New York there are more than 5000
deaths from typhoid and other intestinal
diseases during the fly season. 1t is esti-
mated that were the fly effectually BAN
ished 1t would result in the saving of 5000
lives year in that city and the proven
ton OF $4,000 cases Of sickness. Typhoid
fever is estimated by experts to cause
an annual economic loss amounting to
$3.50, oO0, 900 In the United States and fully
SIS O0o, 900 in Canada 1t is also figured
that the American people spend $1000O,SO0
a year for door and window screens. Not
only Is the fly a dissemination of typhoid,
but he likewise communicates tuberculo-
sis by carrying 1t from the sputum of
tubercular patients to others, and carries
every form OF Intestinal disease. 1t is
said that much of the cholera infantum,
the most fatal of children's diseases. is
carried to the little victims by the flies.
II has been found In studying the life
history of the hy, that the female lays
an average of 100 eggs during her life,
and that in favorable localities there are
twelve generations of them in q single