Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-08-27

Little Pest, the Housefly Denounced as
the Greatest Carrier Of Disease Some Fly
Hints Officially Scattered for thu Public
Benefit
For those who would get rid OF the
house fly. which for the next few
months Will be on the job early and
late the department OF health of Chi
cago is busy distributing a poster
which contains invaluable pointers
for houSchelders anxious to rid them
selves OF this annoyance.
The fact that flies are annoying in
Sects is not the only reason that has
prompted the Chicago authorities to
wage war Of determination against
them. The circular which the de-
partIncnt is sending broadcast
through the city of Chicago cmpha-
sizes the assertion that flies ARE the
most dangerous insects known to
man, and that they are carriers of
such infectious diseases as tuberculo-
sis, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, diph-
liberia and other dreaded ills.
Especially does the department i'm
press upon householders the fact that
flies carry from place to place mil
lions of death dealing germs, which
they deposit wherever they NAV
alight, and that unless the food stuffs,
principally milk, are well protected
from them, the danger of infection
will be great.
Following are parts of the circular,
which is full of facts and advice:
Don't allow flies in your house.
Don't permit them near your food,
especially milk.
Don't buy food stuffs where flies are
tolerated.
Don't eat where flies have access
to the food.
Flies are the most dangerous in
sects known to man.
Flies are the filthiest of all ver-
min. They are born in filth, live on
filth and carry filth around with
them.
Flies are known to be carriers of
millions of death-dealipg disease
germs. They leave some of these
germs wherever they alight.
Flies may infect the food you eat.
Flies may infect you with tubercu-
losis. typhoid fever, scarlet fever,
diphtheria and other infectious dis
eases. They have the habit of feast
ing on tuberculosis sputum and other
discharges of those sick with these
diseases, and then go direct to your
food, to your drink. to the lips of
your sleeping child, or perhaps to a
small open wound on your hands or
face. When germs are deposited in
milk they multiply very fast, there
fore milk should never be exposed to
flies.
Screen your windows and doors.
Do it early before fly time and keep
screens up until snow flies.
Screen all food, especially milk.
Do not eat food that has been in con-
tact with flies.
Screen the baby's bed and keep
flies away from the baby's bottle. the
baby's food and the baby's "com-
fOrter.'
Keep flies away from the sick, es-
pecially those ill with typhoid fever,
scarlet fever, diphtheria and tuber-
culosis. Screen the patients bed.
Kill every fly that enters the sick
room. Immediately disinfect and
dispose of all discharges.
Catch the flies as fast as they ap-
pear. Use liquid poisons, sticky fly
papers and traps.
Place either of these fly pOisons in
shallow dishes throughout the house:
(O Two teaspOonsful of formalde-
hyde to pint of water, or
(b) One dram of bichromate of
potash dissolved in two ounces of
water, sweetened with plenty of
sugar.
To quickly clear rooms of flies,
burn pyrethrum powder or blow
powdered black flag into the air of
the room with powder blower.
This causes flies to fall to the floor in
stunned condition. They must then
be gathered up and destroyed.
Sprinkle chloride of lime or kero-
sene over contents of outhOuses and
garbage boxes. Keep garbage re-
ceptacles tightly covered. clean the
cans every day, the boxes every
week. Keep the ground around gar
bage boxes clean.
Sprinkle chloride of lime over ma
nure piles, old paper, old straw and
)ther refuse of like nature. Keep
manure in screened pit or vault, if
possible.
Pour kerosene into the drains.
Keep sewerage system in good order,
'epair all leaks Immediately.
Clean cuspidors every day. Keep
per cent. solution of carbolic acid
n them all the time. Get rid of
awdust boxes.
THE man is dandy who can be
cked in fair fight and not complain.