The San Francisco call., 1910-05-24
FLY FIGHTING
BRIGADE MUST
SOONGETBUSY
Health Board Declares That
Pests Are Grave Menace to
Health of City
Request for Ten Inspectors Who
Viii Enforce Ordinances
Will Be Made

The house ny. said by Dr. Daniel D.
Jackson. the eminent New York author
ity, TO be the most dangerous creature
on earth" and recognized among medi-
cal men as the most dreaded agency in
the Transmission OF disease germs. is to
meet determined enemy 10 his hith-
erto undisputed reign this season, in the
recently appointed san Francisco board
OF health. A new city ordinance, reg
ulating the method Of handling food
stuns. is even now being drafted by the
board under the personal direction OF
President DR.. George Lee Eaton.
MORE INSPECTORS WANTED
Doctor Eaton has asked in his budget
for the fiscal year also that he be al
lowed 10 food inspectors, instead of
the two men now struggling TO do that
work in markets, restaurants and other
places they are expected TO keep under
strict surveillance.
Even with summer not yet dawned
the fy pest has made itself quiet ap-
parent in the city, and in such swarms
that q summer Of misery from the in
sects is promised But IL the health
board secures sufficient men 10 carry
out the regulations already in force,
and those they viii pass to the super
visors soon for a vote. the fly will
have 4 hard battle TO survive.
7 wish 10 call upon the whole city
TO aid in lighting the fly pests Doc
tor Eaton said yesterday. I'm this city
sufficient attention has not been paid
10 this evil, though in other cities the
strictest measures are being taken to
eradicate the disease carrying agencies.
With 10 food inspectors, instead of the
entirely Inadequate force of men that
now strive 10 cope with the situation,
we viii be prepared 10 enforce properly
the measures we pass and the laws al
ready on the books.
WORK IN MARKETS
But il is not only in the markets
and restaurants, where the flies walk
over the food and leave disease germs
that may affect thousands OF people,
that We will work. The ordinance we
now are drafting deals principally with
the root of the whole matter-the
breeding places OF the fly. II we can
do away with the conditions that
make possible the breeding of millions
OF flies. we viii DO more than we
could do with all the screens and net
ting in the world.
AT present we have laws governing
position Of manure when il is thrown
out Of stables. The refuse is supposed
TO be kept IN covered bins until taken
away in the wagons. But IL is hard &c
enforce this regulation. Then garden
ers pile up the manure on their lawns,
or throw II out in the gardens.
GREAT PLACE FOR FLIES
Manure generates so much heat that
il is an ideal breeding place for the
larvae OF flies, and we intend TO show
10 owners Of stables that they should
exercise the greatest care in dispos-
ing OF the manure. To see that the
regulations are enforced here also, /
have asked. in my budget. for more
sanitary inspectors Lime or some
other disinfectant should be thrown on
the manure"
Under present conditions the police
department Is supposed to enforce the
ordinances regarding the installation
Of screens in markets and restaurants
bakeries and delicatessen stores, but
the patrolmen are not trained sanitary
inspectors, and they can not, there
fore. do the work OF inspection as II
should be done. Many complaints have
ticularIy regarding the swarms OF flies
that infest markets. and crawl at will
over meats, vegetables and other per-
tshsble food stuffs. Where the flies
have been before they alight on the
food stuffs the insects do not report
10 the n1arketmen.
In the spreading OF typhoid fever, es-
peciaIly, the flies are active agents
and the board OF health traces many
cases OF this illness to the agencies o,
the insects.