Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-19
URGES WAR ON FLY
DR.. Woodward Favors De-
struction of Disease Carriers.
CLEANLINESS IMPORTANT
Screening of All Windows and Doors
Also Advised.
USE OF P0ISONS IS DECRIED
Health Officer Believes it Should Be
Easy to Keep Houses Free
Of the Pests.

The common house fly. or typhoid
fy." serves absolutely no useful purpose
among civilized peoples.
With this statement as starting
point DR.. William c. Woodward, health
officer of the District, today voiced his
hearty approval Of a campaign for the
destruction of flies.
According to DR.. Woodward's ideas the
very best preventive measures against
flies and against disease infection through
flies Is cleanliness and the screening OF
windows and doors.
I'm the days Of long ago, when the
country was in condition of savagery.
the fly had a useful purpose In the scheme
of things" said DIR. Woodward. He was
the scavenger, or natures agent for the
destruction Of waste. Naturally, the dy's
purpose in life has not changed, and his
habits will remain the same to the end
of time. In primitive times dead animals
and decaying things generally were scat
tered about promiscuously, and then, In
a way. the fly served a good end. Eggs
of the insect laid in decaying matter
Matched into maggots, and these in turn
broke down the structure, So that its
progress In natures evolution, earth to
EARTH was materially fastened.
4S d 9CdVcuSo1.
Civilized peoples do not need the fy.'
DR.. Woodward continued. land the in
sect should no more be tolerated than
buzzards would be. Both are scavengers.
No one would think of having maggots
about the house, yet flies are simply adult
maggots."
The health officer pins his faith in
cleanliness and the screening of windows
does not believe In the use of poisons, ex-
cept some that are not harmful to hui
man life. Certain authorities have de-
clared that bichromate of potash, one
dram dissolved in two ounces OF water.
may be placed in shallow saucers about
the house and that flies drinking it will
be killed There is no doubt Of the
poison being effective against flies, but
1t might not be the safest of fly destroyers
to use. particularly when there are chill
dren in the family who might drink the
liquid. Dr. Woodward supported his ar
gument against the promiscuouS use OF
bichromate of potash by quoting from
Legal Medicine and Toxtcology." an au-
thoritative reference work. by Emerson,
In which it is stated that fifteen grains
of this poison is ordinarily a fatal dose.
Garbage is removed and mtscel-
laneous refuse is carted away, and
there is no charge for either service,
the health officer said. land with all
stroyed the householder ought to have
very little difficulty in keeping his
premises in such condition that there
will not be only no attraction for flies.
but no breeding places for them. And
with their breeding places gone. the
flies, as a species, are bound to grow
less in numbers"
Inspectors Working Hard.
The health department always has
conducted vigorous campaign for
and the inspectors are
working with greatest energy this
summer. All cases OF uncleanliness,
where violations can be shown of Dis
trict regulations. are being prosecuted.
All reports of insanitary conditions
made by citizens are investigated by
the inspectors, and such assistance by
members of the community at large is
heartily welcomed by the health officer
and his assistants.
Some day. it Is hoped. the common
house fly, as a purveyor of disease. may
be made negligible quantity in the
capital.