The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-17

foot and to these sticky pads adhere va
rious substances OF foreign matter over
which the fly may walk, II is beyond
all question that millions of bacteria are
transmitted from place to place on the
feet Of flies. 1t has been shown by sci
entl1c experiment that single fy may
easily carry upon its body q million, or
perhaps twice that number, OF bacteria or
disease germs at one time, and we know
from its habits and the haunts 1t fire.
quents that its body, and especially its
feet, must be constantly loaded with bac-
terra OF various kinds which II trans
fers from place to place. Unfortunate
ly, this transfer OF disease gernT by
means of the ny's body and feet Is a
simple matter compared with that which
takes place through Its cxcreta.
Spread Of Typhoid.
Experiments have shown that flies
swallow the germs of typhoid In count
less millions while feeding on the en-
a result they spread a thousand times
more typhoid fever germs in their eX-
creta than by their feet and bodies. Our
Imagination almost fails us in drawing
the picture when II is remem embercd that
each fly. is the author Of ut LEAST coo
fly specks in each twenty-four hours.
each speck in different place and all
may be laden with the germs of dis
disease with which the fly comes in con.
tact. These disease germs OF almost
every kind lose none OF their virulence
by passing through the intestinal canal OF
the fly,
Knowing something OF the llie and
habits Of the ny. its love for fitA and
nastiness we cannot be far wrong when
we say that the fly walking over the
food on our table has just returned from
filthy cesspool and is wiping his feet
upon our bread, or he may be seated
upon lump OF sugar and is vigorously
cleaning himself up and deposItIns MS
eNcreta after a visit TO some exposed
Clubhouse or other similar place
Where has the fly been that Is walking
over the fruits and vegetables in the mar
ket; that you are about TO buy? Why, ne
is Just back from flying trip 10 the
street gutter, where he has been sampling
n new deposit OF tubercula sputum and Is
now distributing tubercule bacili over the
fruits and vegetables you are about 10
take to your home
How about the fly that is crawling over
the face Of your sleeping babe? Is IL not
reasonable TO suppose that his last visit
was to regale himself upon the eXcreta
child suffering with summer darrhoea of
children2 Such a supposition Is not un-
reasonable or improbable, but on the
other hand is really very probable. for Of
all the diseases in which the fly plays
an Important role. these two diseases. ty-
phoid and summer diarrhoea of children
mead the list. Millions upon millions OF
the germs of these diseases may be. and
eXcreta OF fly.
Responsible for Many Ills.
We shall soon come to know that the
ny Is responsible for much Of the illness
OF small children and infants during the
not summer months and early fall. when
ihe NY aoounds. and that we were great
ly In error when we attributed such ill
ness TO teething, hot weather and indl-
eestion. the main cause being the hac-
terlai contamination of the milks and
ntt- -1l,ft
wise. we shall also learn that the proper
treatment OF these diseases is prevention.
py oiinSlnS ABOUT more sanitary condi-
e9n I,I IN our homes and community.
Dld you ever see the milk man or the
mouse wife straning out few flies (uv.
TO twenty or hfty) from an exposed Fan
or pan Of milk? If you have not IL is ONLY
one OF the things you have missed. Sup
pose ten or twenty, or even less nfes
nave been washed and bathed and per
maps met their death in can of milk
an and III from 1.-THE the body of each one. suppose
germs were left in the milk. what NAV
we expect from feeding such milk TO our
children, when IL Is remembered thai
o2ese l0oqo bacteria may In the course
OF few hours. In such a splendid me
dlum as milk. multiply 10 30 600 O0O III
then. the fly is such a potent and active
9lsseminator OF disease. which cannot be
uei'ieu py %hat means shall we proceed
against him? How best can We exterynI
nate hlm' or at least reduce his forces TO
a minimum? The answer Is simple ana
II rs: that we ought TO take greater Dre-
- "S
First. we should fully inform ourselves
on on the subject by reading and ohserva-
.ioh. we should prevent the rnultInlIca
tlon , OF files by abolishing their breeriInp
p.aces. we should protect food and re-
use so mat ilies cannot get at them
we should employ all reasonable agen
cles 10 destroy flies that come into exist
gI,ce. In spite Of our other precautions
we ghoutd keep flies out Of our houses.
papalcuiariy aI;uIy dining rooms. Kitchens. and
confined patients suffering from conta-
sious or Infectious diseases We sbouId
screen all the doors and windows OF our
homes. and especially protect fruits. sail
ads and other foods which do NOT roonIro
cooking. We should insist that our erd.
,er, butcher. baker and every one from
whom we buy foodstuffs does the same
u they persist in exposing their wares
20 inc contamination Of files we should
,ransler our trade to those who take
greater pains TO protect their goods from
such contamination.
Measures to Exterminate.
On the part Of the city much might
De done toward eXterminating this nest
by some general and consistent measures
winch would also act as a stimulus to
Individuals TO make greater efforts For
example, exposed cess pools and out
louses might be abolished by ordinance.
also II might be made compulsory for
ZACH home to be provided with a covered
garbage can, These should be
properly cleansed and disinfected, as oc-
'asion might require. II would be an ex- !
'ellent thing il garbage were collected
'eeularly twice a week during the 0y
season. Dealers in fruits and ycseta blcS |
ind other foodstusfs might be reuuircd |