Cañon City record., 1910-06-09
THE DEADLY AND DAM
AGEABLE HOUSE FLY

Except in sleepy, zoophilic, ,antivivi
section India, the danger to civilized
man from the larger members of the
animal kingdom can this, our day, be
almost disregarded. The insect pests,
however, loom relatively large in
crowded communities as a menace to
the public health. as well as being the
chief enemies of horticulture and agri-
culture. The role of the mosquito in
transmitting malaria and yellow fever
has been brilliantly and conclusively
demonstrated, to the advantage of all
mankind.
The most abundant and widely dis
tributed of pestilent insects is the
common house fly (Musca domestica,)
constituting about 80 per cent of the
various species of flies found about
barns and houses. This hexapod
mixer" has about 10000 very fine
hairs on its feet, from which oil
exudes constantly, enabling the fly
to walk (by capillary attraction) in
any position on a dry surface which is
not too dusty. The house fly breeds
preferably in horse manure, though
at times in garbage or human feces,
the full cycle of development from the
egg being or 10 days. Richie says
it is estimated that in one summer 800
flies may hatch in a cubic inch of
manure, if this is left undisturbed.
The hairy nature of its feet makes
the fly an unrivaled carrier of filth
and contagion, and as many as 10000
bacteria have been found upon a sing
lie individual. Among the germs
which have been thus isolated in pure
culture, we may mention: B. typhiI
abdominalis, B. coli communis. B.
pyocyanens, B. tuberculosis, B. chol-
era Asiaticae, B. pestis bubonicae,
pyogemic heterogeneous and the
egs of most of the intestinal parasites.
Microbes are carried mostly upon the
legs of the insect, but are likewise de-
posted in its feces, and may be liber-
ated by the dry decay of dead flies.
In one speck left by a fly that had
been captured on the face of leper
says Ritchie. LIS leprosy germs were
counted.
The pathogenic relation of the house
fly to enteric fever is becoming SO
sanitarians have suggested designat-
ing the insect as the typhoid fly. 1t
is indeed probable that the majority
of the $4,000 deaths from typhoid
fever in the United States during the
last census year may be charged up
to the little house fly. Vaughn has
shown convincingly the paramount role
of flies in causing typhoid among the
American soldiers in camps during
the summer of 1898. In North Denver |
in the fall of 1908, there appeared an
epidemic (53 cases and deaths) of
enteric fever along the route of a
milkman whose wife had typhoid. The
stools were thrown into the ordinary
country closets. whence flies carried
the specific germs las shown by cul-
tures) into the unscreened milk room.
Prompt acton by the State Board of
Health avarted further spread of the
infection.
The house fly is not true scav-'
enger; it is merely a foul marauder,
engendered in excrement. nourished
on corruption, rioting in all manner of
abominable nastiness, and as "a
species. for the good of the people,
doomed ultimately TO destruction !
To deminish and destroy what may
be termed the Fly Peril. there are
three main principles to follow:
/. Ablate the first cause by having
manure removed every week before
maggots have time to develop into
flies, or II this is impracticable, keep
it carefully covered in closed box
(using chlorinated lime as a disin-
fectanU or screened with wire gauze. !
Garbage should be protected in the
Same way when, as Is best. 1t can
not be burned or feed to chickens or
pigs.
2. Prevent entrance OF flies into
the house and contact with foods and
drinks by well-fitting screens for
doors and windows and the quick stor-
ing of viands in refrigerator and cup
boards: also netting for the help
less sleeping baby. Let your grover
know that you are tired of eating
muscid ordure and he will put up
some better protection than the gay