The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-06-29
Beware Of the Typhoid Fly.
State Department of Health,
jackson. Miss.

Jackson, Miss.
The common house-fiy is the
most dangerous enemy of mankind.
This pestiferous creature is es-
|pecially prevalent during the warm
season of the year. He begins his
existence as a tiny .wriggling worm
in any pile of filth. The egg lis
deposited in this incubating ma
terial and matches under favorable
condition in about twenty-four
hours after being laid. It then
remains in the larva or maggot
stage from Eve to seven days. 1t
requires from ten days to two
weeks for the fly to reach the adult
stage. The home Of the fly is,
therefore, manure, rubbish, and
garbage of all kinds. The presence
of the fly means disease and unsan-
itary conditions. Where there is
no filth there are no flies. Keep
the home surroundings clean.
His habits of living and crawl
ing make him one Of the four great
agents in the spread Of diseaes.
He is the chief cause in the trans
mission Of typhoid fever, hence he
has come to be called the typhoid
fly' All intestinal diseases, such
as cholera infantum which kills
children by the thousands, are more
frequent whenever and wherever
flies are most abundant. 1t is this
little pest and not the summers s
heat Which.is the active agent in
the spread Of these diseases. Keep
the flies off of the lips and face Of
the helpless babe.
The spongy feet and hairy body
of the fly make it possible for him
to carry thousands of germs SO he
is found transmitting not only the
germs of typhoid fever, but what
is worse, the germs Of consumption
from the spUtum on the sidewalk
or cuspidor to the food we eat.
Flies transmit germs of consump-
tion to man.
During the Spanish American
War thousands of soldiers died
of typhoid fever. Upon investiga-
tion the officers of the regiments
were found eating their food under
screened tents while the food Of
the privates was left exposed. 1t
is known that disease germs Of the
sick are found abundantly in the
waste matter. The epidemic was
confined to the privates and the
flies were seen coming direct from
the waste pits to their tables.
When the refuse in the pits was
covered with lime then the food
was marked by the white tracks Of
the flies. Thus the presence of the
fly is not only a nuisance but he
may spread disease wherever he
goes. His touch may be deathly
His presence should not be toIerat-
ed. The fly must be exterminated.
"A person can catch disease only
by coming in contact with it. For
example, the germ of typhoid fever
must be swallowed in the food
that one eats or in the liquid that
one drinks, or obtained from the
vessel from which one eats Of
drinks. Cleanliness prevents dis
lease.
Remember that milk is an excel
lent culture medium for the growth
of germs. If exposed to flies, and
d few germs get into it. ID very
short time these germs will multi
ply into the thousands. Germs
multiply with great rapidity
Therefore. keep the flies away
from all food. whether it he for
sale On the street. ID The store. the
butcher shop. OF ID the kitchen.
But especially keep them away
from milk.
ct would be well for those In
SIZED id the promotion nf health
to clip these Health Bulletins and
keep them for further reference. ]
You ean always get the price of
The man who wears bis pride on
the outside.