Middletown transcript., 1910-05-07
TALK ON HEALTH
With The transcripts Good
H0uSekeeperS

The most dangefous auimal on earth is
the fly That is She conclusion, not Of
sensation mongers, but Of c0ol.headed
aud cautious scientists. That little, ~.
significant, pesky house fly 10 Thousand
times more dangerous TO you and your
babies than all the man-eating animals OF
the world conld be. Can the many good
housewives who FeRd THE TRANscRIPT
realize that big fact? Perhaps better said
are they willing TO realize and act upon
it? And here's more of IL. Roosevelt IN
his huntsh Strip through the darkest jun
giles of Africa never faced the danger that
is now beseGting tbs men and women aud
children of America. The blood-thiTsty
denizens of that dark continent do not
harm the human family as much in .
century as does the fly in one single sum-
mer, The poisonous reptiles of India are
harmless piaythings in comparison. Kali
road secidents kill and MAIN many, put
the f1g q tenfold more destructive. Now
will these same good homekeepers OF
MiddIetown because they love their little
ones, carefully read and think over these
truly amazing facts2
Hitherto the fly has been regarded as q
harmless nuisance and considered 10 oe
an annoying creature with its persistence
and excessive familiarity. That was she
way the last generation looked upon she
household pest.
Now, however, the fly has been pub
Iicly indicted as murderer OF the human
race, and the efforts to rid the world OF
him are not because he is q common null
sance-which should be enough-but be-
cause the fly is the greatest disease breeder
and the carrier OF more disease germs
than all other animal life put together.
This is q new fact; indeed, the proof thes
the common fly was so deadly is much
less than o generation old. / doubt u
our town doctors would have stated she
case so strongly even five years ago and
one Of our leading physicians says this Is
correct.
Will every householder in MiddletoWn
please read The following health statistics:
The health authorities of New York
estimate that about one-half of the deaths
from typhoid in that city are attributable
to the distribution of the germs OF the
flies. They also declare shat about three
fourtha of the young children who die
from the bowel complaints which hIes
are chiefly instrumental in spreading
would never have been sick had proper
precautions been taken against flies.
The numbers of bacteria upon one ty
have been proved to range all the way
from $50 90 6,600,00 The average is
about l, ,250, 900 fly. This represents the
number OF bacteria that enters the human
system when one swallows glass OF
LIQUID into which fly has fallen.
Flies caught in the rooms Of patients
suffering from typhoid fever, smallpox,
scarlet fever, tuberculosis and other dis.
eases have been examined under the
microscope, and in nearly every instance
it has been found that they were not only
covered but f led with the specific bacteria
of these diseases.
And will our neat, particular house.
keepers who justly pride themselves on
their epotless homes try hard to grasp the
full meaning and significance Of this
statement: From the sick room, from the
rotten filth of the garbage pail, from the
heaps OF refuse, manure, and Otfal OF all
kinds, the death-bringiDg fly walks on
the butter, the bread, the meat, the fruit
upon the table, leaving everywhere the
disease germe its furry feet have gathered
up.
Finally we ask the mothers and fathers
Of Middletown and vicinity to ponder
long and thoughtfulIy this paragraph tell.
ing how the dirty preventable fly befouls
food and kiIls little children: From she
outhOuses it goes to the bsby's bottle;
from the scum-coyered pool it hurries to
the family dinner table. And she victims
are victims needlessly. for it takes but
little precaution and little expense to rid
the house Of fies, and bat the same effort
upon the part of everybody to rid the
country of the fly.
We repeat il. all this filthy peril of the
house hy can easily be avoided in our
town, and we wish every good citizen to
read our editorial suggestions on this im-
portant subiect-to agitate the matter by
speaking to the members of the Town
Board--by writing it up. Our columns
are open. This course will bring about
action by the Board, and not only relieve
Us from dirty, dangerous nuisance, but
be 8 big step towards ''The Town Beauti.
ful."