The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-08-21
* the DEAIH-DEALIMG FLY -.
Prize Essay By Donald Cornue,
Selah, Washington

I
| known, that the insect family
through its office as disease rrier
is the worst enemy of tha Adma-
race. But of all the insects that are
instrumental in the spreading of dis.
ease the fly is the most deadly. While
the flea from the brown rat conveys
the bubonic plague, the mosquito
malaria and yellow fever, the fly
spreads dysentery, Asiatic cholera
tuberculosis and worst of all, typhoid
fever The fly is natural habitue
of filth and in filth are propagated
disease germs. Under the microscope
the fly's leg looks like a porcupiue
These minute hairs afford a splendid
conveyance to these germs, single
fly being able to carry from $50 to
$4,000 germs at a time. The fly
having an acute sense of smell is at
trected by cooking and the odor of
food coming through open windows,
and If they are unscreened, carries
countless germs to foodstuffs.
On an average one in every seven
persons in the United States dies of
tuberculosis. 1t is hard to estimate
the percentage of these deaths that
are caused by the fly, but even ir
small. the aggregate number would
be appalling.
1t has been known for a long time
that disease kills more soldiers than
bullets, but up to the time of the
Spanish American war it was not
known that the fly was the carrier
OF this disease. At the beginning OF
the war a dreadful epidemic of ty-
pnoid broke out in the camp at
Cnickamauga. causing 425 deaths and
victor Vaughn Of the University Of
Michigan was sent to investigate. He
absolutely demonstrated the danger
of the fly and that they were passing
unmolested from the nightsoil to the
1000. Over one per cent OF the men
that enlisted in the war died and 40
per cent of these died of typhoid fe-
Yer. In the Russo apanese war. the
FIRST war to be carried on under SAM
.ary prmcinples, there We're few
deaths from disease.
PROBABLY the most revolving fact
IN connection with the fly, is that it
Is unable with its soft jaws to gnaw
any than jellylike substances; 50
Wnen the fly eats the frosting from
CAKE or sugar it is obliged to soften
It. which it does by vomiting the con-
tents Of its stomach on the fool
no matter where it took its last meal.
whether In a cuspidor or garba .
pail u leaves some of it on your food,
together with countless harmful
germs In fact the fly is the con-
Meeting link between filth and dis
ease. The only good fly is the dead
fly and the best, fly is the fly that
is never born.
The several different methods OF
dealing with the fly may, be ,classifie
under two heads, prevention and
regulation. In this work we are all
eminently in favor Of the former
method, attacking the fly in his own
territory. not waiting until innumer-
able millions of reinforcements have
peen matched. By cleaning up and
properly dispensing with garbage, re-
fuse from stables and city sewage, we
destroy the fly's breeding places
which Is most important and realIy
the best way to destroy the fly. To
the rural population septic tanks are
recommended. but warming should be
given OF the many so-called septic
tne true purifying qualities. These
are the ways to prevent the breeding
OF une fly. Now as to regulating the
Fly. as last resource after the fly
has bred. This can best be done by
traps, poison and the screening in OF
doors and windows. As it is now we
must use both methods in conjun ,tion
o1t 1t is to be hoped that In a few
years the fly will be a thing of the
past.
AL cities and communities are to
be commended. that have taken up a
campaign against the Almighty Fly.
Let the good work continue, remem-
oering that a fly in time saves nine.
Swat the Fly"
MAX DONALD CORNUE,
Selah, Wn.