Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-05-19

to suppose that the germs of the bubonic
plague may be transferred by fieas, and of typhus
fever by the body louise, but the encouragement
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 at his will
by the presentation of a package of destruction
that makes Pandora's box look like a 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 fyspecks on food. Therein lies almost
all the danger. 1t will also transmit 1t Is true
such diseases smallpox scarletfever measles
ch1cken-pox, erysipelas, and carbunces but
practically only by inoculation that is by depos
iting the germs surface or on mucous
membrane
But 1t is not from contact with horse manure
or ordinary refuse that the fly becomes SO danger
Gus 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 sufrer incalculable anguish of mind and body
until natural resistance enables them tn over
come the poison or death intervenes
When the sum total of misery and loss which
use De lald In this connection at the door of the
mouse fly Is taken into account, 1t will readily be
believed that no remedy, however drastic. to re-
move the cause, can justly be regarded as super.
fuous - pe
Dr u. NJ 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 a SINGLE
year is more than $350,OOOOOO The house hv.
while not the sole carrier of the typhoid germ
taxes such an unenviable part In its distribution
that he may r1ghtfuy be charged with very con.
siderable part of the loss Add to this the dread.
lui ton exacted by Intestinal disorders, and the
tiny agent like the Djinn of the fshermans lar
set free through mans indiscretion. looms more
ana more menacingly until his terrifying shadow
fills and darkens the heavens
Ihese are the popular charges against the t1y
In principle they are true, and the violent enhus-
1asm which greets the proposal for his extermIna
tlon must be viewed with approving eye The
smoke and the effervescence will inevitably mass
but the solid impetus which distinguished the move
ment will remain. At the same time 1t 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
uated Several years ago 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-
terluin from the insects so fed. We have
before that bacteria suffer diminution of their
viruence In passing through the fly In 1892 IL
cases of cholera developed In New York, the dis.
ease being first brought In by steamship The
patients lived in wideyseparated 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 were engaged in some 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 were forced to exclude the
water supply. They also declared, after much ex-
perimentation and thought, that 1t was incredible
that the wind had carried the germs over SO great
an area In so short time. By careful process
OF elimination the guilt was brought down to the
NY, 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-