The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-06-27
FLIES; ENEMY OF MANKIND
WAGE WAR OF DETERMINATION

Apparently the only reason why tneI
typhoid ny does not carry every dis
ease to which mankind is heir. is that
providence has need OF few humans
to work out her designs. A hurried
review Of few scattered bits of lit.
erature on the subject, brings to light
pretty conclusive evidence that Musca
domestica, the typhoid fly, and
q few OF its first cousins are directly
responsible in varying degree. for the
following diseases: Cholera infantum.
cholera. plague, yaws, tetanus, con-
sumption. Egyptian opthalmia.
OF some eighty odd species of flies
found in the United States, we shall
have to deal with but one, Musca do.
mestica, since It is found ninety.eight |
times out OF hundred among the flies |
which swarm through our houses in
summer.
do not apologize for again refer
ring to the fact that its life history
is begun in refuse. provided condi.
tons Of moisture, etc, are right.
These facts cannot be too forcibly
driven home to the public mind which
must be made to understand that 1t is
our filth alone which is the seventh
heaven of delight to flies, which re-
ward us by carrying that same filth
back to our kitchens, dining rooms and
nurseries. Whenever this filth is con-
taminated with disease germs, then we
reap what we SOW, and the fly becomes
positively the most dangerous insect on
earth, for he never cleans his feet, and
when we are reminded Of the count Of
100000 bacteria on one fly made in
Connecticut by Messrs. Esten and
Mason land that most likely wasn't
the champion basteria-carrying fly it
becomes easy to imagine the numbers
of bacteria the fly deposits daily on
our foods This prolific work on the
part OF the industrious fly Is not con-
fined to the home, unfortunately, but
finds its most fruitful field in the
markets. the candy shops, dairies, no.
tells and restaurants.
Next to typhoid, collection Of in.
testinal disorders that affect babies,
commonly Jumped under the name Of
cholera infantum, strikes nearer the
hearts of the American people than
any other disease Ninety per cent
of these diseases are directly trace
able to flies. To quote from statistics
OF the Massachusetts, report Of 1907
ITO the whole group of air-born dis
eases, As babies succumbed In June
and only 26 in August. On the Other
hand, cholera infantum and its allied
maladies, in which contagion comes
through infected food or articles
placed in tht mouth. claimed 40 chill
.dren in June. 80 in July. 240 in Au
gust, when flies are apt to be mos
abundant, continued at 200 In Sep
TENDER, in spite of cool weather, ans
conditions only became normal agaiI
In November with the disappearance
of flies" Apparently the hot weathe
which we are 80 prone to blame TO
all baby diseases, plays only an in
direct part, In that II is most favor
able to bacterial growth and to flies
IL is significant that the cool weathe
of late summer does not material
decrease infant mortality while file
abound
Experiments Are Made.
in 1899 a series of experiments o
the subject of infections through tn
agency OF flies was conducted b
Sawtchenko with pure culture {
cholera bacili The bacili, fed to tw
kinds of flies. were found as late a
four days after Injection removed o
the third day and inoculated int
guinea pigs. they were found to
as active as the pure culture then
selves. Similar results were obtaine
when, In stead of pure culture, Il
discharges of cholera patients wei