The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-02
Established 1877


perhaps the one most important insec
pest known to man. AS a direct pes
1t is a source of great annoyance
necesstating with the mosquito, al
estimated annual expenditure in tn,
United States alone Of more Thu
tations. But the Importance of this fl.
as an annoying pest is insignifican
compared with it's importance as
menace to public health through tn.
dissemination Of disease germs. II
the maggot stage the fly thrives in al
Kinds of filth and as adult it feeds
upon similar materials, thus ingestins
the deadly germs Of enterc diseases
such as typhoid fever, cholera cholers
infantum, the tropical dysentery, tt
deposit them hours, or even days, Later
in fly speckS, often on, various article.
of food; or these microscopic organ
isms may be collected on the feet o.
the fly and later adhere to some fooC
supply over which the fly may craw
in its travels.
Typhoid fever is one of the mos
serious ailments to which man is sub
Ject. There are about 100000 cases
OF this disease annually in America
about $1,000 proving fatal. Sixty pei
cent of the deaths in the F'rancO-Prus.
sian war and 80 per cent of the deaths
in the BOer war were caused by this
disease One investigator has found
the baclli of typhoid fever in the de-
jeCta Of house flies twenty-three days
alter FEEDING while another records
the presence Of this bacillus in flies
during the period Of two weeks. The
possibilities of transmitting typhoid
fever are appalling to the layman
when it is remembered that the germs
OF this disease may be in the system
several weeks before diagnosis is pos.
Sible. continue in numbers six or eight
in
exceptional cases may be discharged
from the system during a period Of
several years There are authentic
records Of a patient distributing these
germs for seventeen years and being
the ncipient cause of 13 cases during
fourteen years of that period. Other
diseases conveyed by this fly are tuber-
Cuiosis, anthrax, plague, trachOma,
septicemia erysipelas, leprOsy, yaws
and perhaps smallpox.
In an investigation Of the sources of
bacteria in milk, the Connecticut Ex-
pertinent Station studied the bacterial
population of Ala flies and concludes
enemy to human health.
The numbers of bacteria on a single
fly may range all the way from $50 to
5000 Early in the fly season the
numbers Of bacteria on flies are COM
paradvely small. while later the num-
bers are comparatively very large. The
place where flies live also determines
largely the number that they carry.
The average for the Ala flies was
about one and one-fourth millions
bacteria on each. It hardly seems
possible for SO small a bit Of life to
carry SO large number Of organisms.
AS files cannot bite, they do not in
ocuiate individuals with disease as do
some mosquitoes butathey act as me-
ctlanicd carriers conveying the germs
either upon their bodies, or within the
aNmentary canal, to be deposited with
the excrement. The fly then is not the
cause, but the "cOnveyer" of disease.
The fly breeds chiefly in fresh horse
manure, and shows a decided prefer
ence for that which is wet and sloppy,
especially if it is in a state of fermen-
tation. But it will also breed in human
excrement barnyard refuse Of all
kinds, dirty bedding Of piggeries, de-
cayins animal and vegetable sub
stances, garbage, sputum in spittOOns,
or other filth, provided there is Suffi-
clent amount Of moisture and moder-
ately high temperature A single re-
iuSe heap will supply whole neigh
oofhood with flies 1t is not uncom-
mon to find a manure heap literally
allVe with wriggling magots.
The adult flies feed greedily upon
all kinds of filth and offensive offal,
ottdch sores on all KINDS OF animals.
swarm around sputum and eXcreta
Of persons afflicted with loathsome
and dangerous diseases, and then
whenever a chance offers crawl eager
~ over food, Oftentimes leaving behind
d trail Of sickness and death
As palliative measures,-screen all
doors ard windows Of dwellings, cover
All milk, fruit and other food With
netting and use poison and sticky fly
paper literally. To drive them from
tte house. darken all windows, open
door and then burn some pyrethrum
powder. OF evaporate a teaspoonful Of
edrooHc acid over lamp.