The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-05-19


son to suppose that the germs of the bubonic
plague may be transferred by feas, and of typhus
fever by the body louise, but the disbursement
of the flea and the louise is by no means difficult
Only the fly, because we treat him a friend and
brother, is in a position to reward us at his will
by the presentation of a package of destruction
that makes Pandora's box look like collection
of assorted chocolates and bonbons. He will
transmit in virulent form typhoid fever Asiatic
cholera, summer dysentery and other intestinal
diseases. and even tuberculosis, all by the inges
ton of fy-specks on food Therein lies almost
all the danger. 1t will also transmit it is true
such diseases as smallpox, scarletfever, measles
chicken-poX, erysipelas and carbuncles, but
practically only by incubation. that is, by depos
iting the germs on a sore surface or on mucous
membrane.
But it is not from contact with horse manure
ordinary refuse that the fly becomes so danger
to the health of man. BY far the greater peril
lies in the fact that it will breed in human ex-
creta. Because of this habit it carries the living
germs of typhoid cholera and other intestinal
diseases to exposed food supplies and thousands
of unfortunates, partaking of these are laid low
to suffer incalculable anguish of mind and body
until natural resistance enables them to over
come the poison or death intervenes
When the sum total of misery and loss which
must be laid in this connection at the door of the
house fly is taken into account 1t will readily be
believed that remedy however drastic to re-
move the cause can Justly be regarded as super
fuous.
DR. G. N. Kober, at the governors conference at
the White House in 1908 presented figures show
ing that the decrease in the vital assets of the
country through typhoid fever alone in single
year is more than $350,O0Q, 600 The house fly
while not the sole carrier of the typhoid germ
takes such an unenviable part In its distribution
that he may rightfully be charged with very con-
siderable part of the loss. Add to this the dread
full toll exacted by intestinal disorders, and the
tiny agent, like the Djinn of the fisherman's Jar
set free through mans indiscretion looms more
and more menacingly until his terrifying shadow
fills and darkens the heavens.
These are the popular charges against the fly.
In principle they true, and the violent enthus-
iasm which greets the proposal for his extermina-
ton must be viewed with an approving eye The
smoke and the effervescence will inevitably pass
but the solid impetus which distinguished the move
ment will remain At the same time it is well to
remember that clear calm understanding of the
actual truth, shorn of decorative hyperbole, is
more essential to the success of the crusade than
all the unreasoning zeal which distinguishes the
first rush upon the breastworks
How easily the inquirer may be led astray from
the scientific aspect of the affair is readily illus
trated. Several years ago a writer in the Boston
Medical and Surgical Journal declared that GER
tain experiments seemed to offer an explanation
of the sporadic cases of cholera occurring in New
YORK city In 1892 In spite OF the most careful
quarantine Maddox and Simmonds fed flies with
cholera spirilla and obtained cultures of the bac
terium from the insects so fed. We have seen
before that bacteria suffer no dminution of their
virulence in passing through the fly. In 1892 II
cases of cholera developed in New York, the dis
ease being first brought in by steamship. The
patients lived in wdelyseparated parts of the city
and had no personal association with each other
The only striking fact common to all the cases
was that the victims We're engaged in form
of the food trade. The bacillus, when examined
proved to be identical with that discovered on
shipboard. The physicians investigating the
method of infection forced to exclude the
water supply. They also declared after much ex.
Fermentation and thought. that it Incredible
that the wind had carried the germs great
an area in so short time. BY careful process
of elimination the guilt was brought down to the
fly, which by excreting cholera bacilli upon food
exposed in various localities thought to have
spread the dreaded disease
Now mark the scientific caution of the physi-