The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-04
The WAR ON THE Fly.

The observers incline to the opin-
ion that some good results of the war
upon the fly are to be noted here, The
campaign is rather young and there
are too many who are not enlisted In
the conflict, but the number is grow
ing and progress is making. The Bur-
lington board of health has taken up
the fight in earnest and asks the CO
operation of every citizen. Some in
teresting facts are given out concern
ing the danger lurking in the presence
of the fly in the homes of the people
and they should be earnestly consid-
cred. TIE war is on everywhere in the
country. At present the campaign ap-
years to be one OF education Plenty
of good advice is being given Daniel
ID. Jackson has the following on the
fly in the Review of Reviews:
We are spending considerable time
and money IN war on mosquitoes
The cases of malaria reported in
Greater New York in 1906 were but
359 and the deaths only So. Much
more to be feared is the common
house-fly This SO called harmless in
sect is one of the chief sources of in
lection, which in New York city
causes annually about $50 deaths from
typhoid fever and about 1000 deaths
yearly from other intestinal diseases
The states in practically all American
cIties-and in many foreign cities,
too, for that matter-show a marked
rise in the number of deaths from typ
hold fever and intestinal diseases dur
ing the fly season
In cities where flies are the chief
cause of intestinal epidemics the
other seasons for the year show com
parative freedom from the disease.
while in cities where water and milk
epidemics exist these epidemics NAV
occur at any season of the year. The
milk epidemic. however, often takes
place during the fly season because
of the infection of milk by flies at
the farm or In the local milk depots.
The danger to health is greatest ia
parts of the city where sanitation pre-.
cautions are most neglected., but even
If you live in comparatively we'll
cared-for part of town do not receive
the fly into your home as a harmless
visitor, for he may come in a carriage
or On horseback from the filthiest
spot in the city. Hitherto the fly
has been regarded complacently as {
harmless nuisance and considered IL
be an annoying creature with grea
persistence and excessive familiarity
Regarded in the light Of a recen
knowledge the fly is more dangerous
than the tiger or the cobra. Wors,
than that, he Is, at least in our elm
ate, much more to be feared than tn,
mosquito, and may easily be classed
the world over, as the most dangerou
animal on earth. The chief special
ties of the fly are now known to b
transmission of intestinal diseases
typhoid fever, cholera and diarrhoes
1t has also been pointed out in re
cent studies by the local government
board of London that he may yer
possibly carry tuberculosis, anthra,
dipthera, smallpox, ophthalmia. st,
phylococcus infection, swine feve
tropical sore, and the eggs of paras
tic worms. Hence the vigorous can
patgn now being carried on agains
the house fly by civic association
and health boards throughout tn
country.
In many cities placards have bee
posted warning the people IN tiers
text and graphic pictures Of the dal
ger from flies, and giving rules f.
protection against then: lectures q
the subject are also being widely FL
en-. and even that new popular IA
the moving-picture show, has bee
brought into service to educate II
1850 10 the dangers ne an -