Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-05-17
WAR ON THE FLY.
Il VIII be Fiercely waged the Conn
ing Summer.


Ing Summer.
The housefiy may look forward to the
summer OF 1911 N the most fateful OF his
long criminal career, for his pedigree and
description are to be more widely circu-
lated than ever, so that the sanitary police
Of the country will have less excuse than
formerly il they leave him free to prose-
cute his calling.
The case against the housefy as an
agency OF disease dissemination is so
clearly proved in the opinion OF most
scientists who have studied his abits,
and their findings have been so generally
spread before the public during the last
few years, that only brief summary Of
the counts of the Indictment which has
been returned against him need be given
here.
Housefiies are known TO carry the germs
OF typhoid fever from infected material
to the food on which they settle in the
houses which they infest. The typhoid
epidemics in the army camps during the
Spanish and South African wars we're due
chiefly to the transmission by flies of the
typhoid germs from camp iatrines to the
mess tables. Similar epidemics are occur
, ring constantly in time of peace, and from
the same agencies. For this reason DR..
l.. o. Howard, United States entomoiogist'
has rechristened the housefiy. calling him
the typhoid fiy", and the name sticks.
Flies also certainly transmit, according
to DR.. c. Gordon Hewitt, entomologist, OF
the Dominion OF Canada, the baeilli Of
tuberculosis, cholera, anthrax, bubonic
plague and possibly those of ophthalmia
and one or two more loathsome diseases.
| DR.. Daniel ID. Jackson and other investi-
| gators believe that the number OF cases Of
| summer disrrhBa Of infants in a given
locality rises and falls in accordance with
| the rise and fall 81 the number OF flies.
| But, leaving all other diseases out OF the
| question, the fly il held responsible for an
| annual loss in the United States alone OF
| thousands OF lives and millions OF money
because Of his habit OF carrying typhoid
germs. When we learn, as DR.. q. N.
Kober, of Washington, tells us, that the
| decrease in the vital assets OF the country
| through typhoid alone amounts in a
single year to $3.50, oo0, 900, OF which sum a
| very large proportion must be charged to
the fly tthere are, of course, other causes
OF typhoid - namely, polluted milk and
water supplies), not to mention the sl0,-
600, 900 which the American people pay an
nually for screens, we can see that there
are some convincingly practical argu-
ments back of the ''swat the fly" cam
paign which is sweeping the country.
The agency which is chiefly responsible
for arousipg the public to an appreciation
OF the dangers OF the fly pest is the fly
| fighting committee OF the American Civic
association.
This committee has been for the last
year engaged in the distribution OF thous-
ands OF copies OF 1.-THE Housefiy at the
Bar, q compilation of scientific opinions,
popularity expressed, as to the fy's guilt
| in the matter OF disease dissemination |;
"Rules for Dealing With the Fly Nuis-
ance," for posting in hotels, schools, fac
| tories, stores, ETC., and "Beware OF the
Dangerous Housefiy", q simply worded
tract for distribution, particularly among
school children.
"white list" OF summer hotels whose
proprietors observe the proper precautions
against the breeding and prevalence OF
| flies is another OF the new features OF the
1911 campaign, in which health and edu-
cation boards, women's clubs, the Y. NJ.
c. A. and press are cooperating with the
| American Civic association.