Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-06-16
shephedtown Jefferson County, Virginia Thursday
The Pestiferous Fly.

The American Civic Association of
Washington, which has taken upon itself
the herculean task of exterminating the
common houSe-fy, is sending out circu-
lars, giving eloquent warning OF the part
played by flies in the dissemination of
disease.
cit is at this time OF the year," says one
OF these circulars, ''that the house fly be-
gins to take on life for the ensuing spring
and summer; eggs laid last fall will soon
begin to hatch. AT first he is only little
worm, wriggling his tiny grub-like form
in some incubating pile of filth. He is
usually found in the manure pile, the out
house or the mound ofrubbiSh or garbage
in the back yard
"In this condition he is easily killed
and il should be the duty of every person
to kill him now. The houSe-fly could not
exist if everything were kept perfectly
clean and sanitary. EXterminate the fly
worm; do away with its breeding places
and there will be no flies. If we dre TO
fight the flies this summer We should use
every agency possible, and the best way
TO fight them is to prevent their breeding
"The common houSe-fly is coming TO
be known as the typhoid fly and when
the term becomes universal greater care
will be exercised in protecting the house
from his presence.
"Flies kill a greater number OF human
beings than all the beasts OF prey, with all
of the poisonous serpents added. They
spread disease which slaYs thousands,
while big, powerful beasts kill single vic
tins.
"As soon as the fly comes out OF his
shell he is full grown and starts out in
the world to make living, and it your
home is not clean he knows it by the
odor OF filth for miles.
"As much as they like filth odorS, they
dislike other odors. Where bad >odor
will attract them the clean odor will re-
pulse them. A pleasant smelling sub
stance-the fragrance of flowers, geran-
iums, mignonette, lavender or any per-
fumery-will drive them away.
ale is a frequenter of offal; the fly lays
her eggs in the manure pile or other OBJ
iectionable filth. All the germS-all the
imaginable, abominable microbeS-fasten
themselves on the Spongy feet OF the fly.
He brings them into the house and scrapeS
them off his feet.
"The fly you see walking overthe food
you are about tc eat is covered with filth
and germs. II there is any dirt in your
house or about your premises, or those
of your neighborS, he has just come from
it. II is his home. Watch him as he
stands on the lump Of sugar induStriously
wiping his feet. He is wiping off the dis
ease germs; rubbing them on the sugar
that you are going to eat, leaving the
poison for you to swallow.
"He wipes his feet on the food that you
eat, on the faces and on the lips OF your
sleeping children. This does more to
spread typhoid fever and cholera infantum
and other intestinal diseases than any
other cause.
"Disease attacks human beings only
when they are brought in contact with it.
For instance, you cannot gettyphoid fever
unless you swallow the germ OF typhoid,
and you do not swallow these germs un-
less they get on the food you eat or in the
liquids you drink, or on the glasses or
cups from which you drink.
"Not only does he scatter the seeds OF
disease from his body over your food, but
before your fruit and vegetables are placed
before you they have been subjected to
his filthy habits, either in the kitchen or
in the stores where he flies from the horse
dirt in the middle OF the street to the
tubercular sputum on the sidewalk, and
then back to the foodStuffs displayed for
sale.
"Many diseases which are attributed to
milk and water originate through flies. A
polluted brook, river or lake furnishes
germs from sewers and flies in millions
settle on the refuse that washes along the
waters edge.
Intestinal diseases are more frequent
whenever and wherever flies are most
abundant, and they, and not the summer
heat, are the active agents in its spread.
"There is special danger when flies
drop into such fluid as milk. This forms
an ideal culture material for the bacillus.
A few germs washed from the body OF
one fly may develop into millions within
a few hours and the person who drinks
such milk will receive large doses OF ba-
cilIi, which may later cause serious sick
ness