Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-05-27
LIBRARIANS COLUMN I
Edited by Geo. H. Taylor,
City Ii brarian.

u City II Orarian.
As is very proper that it should,
the city library is becoming public
depository of all such information as
may contribute to the civic improve
ment and we'll being of the COM
munity. Following the receipt of
the Sanitary and Sociological Bulle-
tin of the c. F. & l., from which
extensive quotations were made for
this column two weeks ago, comes
three other pieces of printed matter
that are of marked public interst in
a local way.
The first as most important, is the
Bulletin of the Colorado State Board
of Health, the leading space in this
number of which is given to inform
ing the people about THE Deadly
and Damnable House Fly" Under
this heading this is what the Bulletin
says about our common house fly:
distributed of pestilent insects is the
common house fly (Musca domes-
tica). constituting about 90 per cent
of the various species of flies found
about barns and houses. This hex
apod 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 dry surface which
is not too dusty. The house fly
breeds preferably in horse manure,
though at times in garbage or hu.
man feces, the full cycle of develop
ment from the egg being 9 or 10
days. Ritchie says it is estimated
that in one summer 900 flies may
hatch in cubic. inch of manure, II
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 sin
gle individual fly. Microbes are car
sect. but are likewise deposited in
its feccs, and may be liberated by
the dry decay of dead flies. In one
speck left by a fly that had been cap
trred on the face Of a lcper, says
Ritchie, LIS leprosy germs were
counted.
The pathogenic relation of the
house fly to entcric fever is becom-
ing so clear and prominent that a
number OF sanitarians have suggested
designating the insect as the typhoid
fly. 1t is indeed probable that the
majority of the 5000 deaths from ty-
phoid fever in the United States dur
ing the last census year may be
charged up to the little house fly.
Vaughn has shown convincingly the
paramount role of flies in causing ty-
phoid among the American soldiers
in camps during the summer of 1898.
In North Denver. in tho fall of 1908.
there appeared an epidemic (S3 cases
and 6 deaths) Of entcric fever along
a., II &
had typhoid. The stool were thrown
| into the ordinary country. closets,
whence flies carried the specific
germs Gas shown by cultures) into
the unscreened milk room. Prompt
| action by the State Board of Health
averted, further spread of the infec-
ton.
The house fly is not a true scav-
J enger: it is merely a foul marauder
/ enyendercd in excrcment, 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 diminish and destroy what may
be termed the Fly Peril. there are
three main principles to follow: l.
Ablatc the first cause by having ma
nure removed every week (before
| maggots have time to develop into
flies, or If this is impracticable. keep
It carefully covered in a closed box
(using chlorinated lime as disinfcct-
anti or screened with wire gauzc
Garbage should be protected in the
same way when. as is best. it cannot
lie burned or fed to chickens or pigs
T. Prevent entrance of flies into
house and contact with foods and
drinks. by well-htting screens for
doors and windows and the quick
storing of viands in refrigerator and
e,ipboards: also a netting for the
helpless sleeping baby. Let your
grocer know that you arc tired OF
eating muscid ordure. and he will put
up some better protection than the
gay little papers which fluttcr UP and
down. 3. Kill every fly on sight. il
you can. with wire killer" dilute
fof malin (renewcd every day. on a
plate. or sticky fly paper-the black
fly paper should not be used where
there are little children. as it is very
poisonous. The absence of flies. like
H. 1S 4