The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1911-05-20

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 encouragement
Of the flea and the louise is by no means difficult
Only the fly, because we treat him as friend ana
brother, is in a position to reward us at his will
by the presentation of 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 tuberculosis, all by the inges-
ton of fyspecks food. Therein lies almost
all the danger 1t will also transmit, it is true,
such diseases smallpox, scarletfever, measles.
chicken pox, erysipelas and carbuncles but
practically only by incubation that is, by depos-
itng the germs sore surface or on mucous
membrane.
But 1t Is not from contact with horse manure
or ordinary refuse that the fly becomes 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, laid low
to suffer incalculable anguish of mind and body
until natural resistance enables them to
come the poison or death intervenes.
When the sum total of misery and loss which
must be laid in this connection the door of the
house fly is taken into account it will readily be
believed that remedy, however drastic to re-
move the cause. can justly be regarded as super
fuous.
a
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 $35O,00o, 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 fshermans jar,
set free through mans indiscreton, 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-
fasm which greets the proposal for his extermina-
ton must be viewed with approving eye. The
smoke and the effervescence will inevitably pass,
but the solid impetus which distinguished the
ment VIII remain. At the 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
trated. Several years ago a writer In the Boston
Medical and Surgical Journal declared that GER
tain experiments seemed to offer 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-
tertum from the insects fed We have seen
before that bacteria suffer no diminuton Of their
cases of cholera developed in New York the dis
ease being first brought In by steamship. The
patients lived In widelyseparated parts of the city
and had no personal association with each other
The only striking fact common to all the
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 forced to exclude the
water supply. They also declared. after much
perimentation and thought. that 1t was incredible
that the wind had carried the germs over great
an area In short time. BY careful process
Of elimination the guilt 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.