Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-29
FLY WAR EFFECTIVE
Has an Educational Influence
Upon Citizens.
CONDITIONS ARE BETTER
Health Office Inspector Reports City
More Sanitary.
DR.. MURRAY URGES ACTION
Points Out the Necessity of Doing
Away With Breeding Places
Of Insects.
r. MURRAY URGES ACTION

early spring and the various anti-fiy
OF The Star have exerted a remarkab BILE
educational influence which is making
itself felt in improved sanitary condi-
| tions throughout the entire District
was the declaration of practically all
| the inspectors of the health depart
ment of the District of Columbia at
conference OF inspectors held in the
municipal building last night
Both DR.. William C. Woodward.
health officer, and DIR. Arthur L. Muir
ray, supervisor Of The Stars war.
against fiesa attended the conference.
The inspectors decided to aid the edu-
cational work that has been started
by comforting with householders when
ever it is practical to do so and Civ
ing them pointers as to best methods
Of keeping their premises in a sani-
tary condition.
Cooperation Expected.
In an address. opening the conference,
DR.. Murray outlined the forms of NUS
ance that the health department has
power to abste. Participants in The
Stars anti-f1y crusade for July are ex-
pected to Cooperate with the department
| In reporting all such nuisances. In this
| respect their work will be similar to
that Of the regular inspectors, and their
complaints will be given prompt atten.
ton.
DR.. Woodward also addressed the con-
ference. He spoke of the thoroughness
u,ifh Uhfch ho a fionc Of
Havana, Cuba, are enforced, which has
resulted in making that city almost fly
less. DR.. Woodward said that Havanas
inspection force is a large one, and that,
inspectors, the sanitary regulations Of
the District could more strictly en-
forced.
Cities Judged by Flies. !.
rs has long been the custom to Judge
the culture and refinement OIL a city by
its visible surroundings. but. with our
present knowledge Of the fly, l think we,
| especially during warm weather. more
accurately judge of a cty's cleanliness
and sanitary condition by its fly popula-
| tion.' said DR.. Murray, in commencing
his address.
| Files are not the product of mans
labor; they are creatures Of nature. But
| their presence and the extent Of their
numbers too often Is the result Of the
lack of mans labor. To completely elimi-
nate the house fly may be impossible, but
q reasonable control of the fly nuisance
| Is we'll within the range of possibility.
IAN old and oft-repeated adage-'an
ounce of prevention is worth pound of
lem Of preventing flies. Flies, like other
members Of the higher order OF organic
| Me, In order to perpetuate themselves,
must pass through definite cycle of de-
velopment. This requires. according to
atmospheric conditions, from ten to .fif-
| teen days.
Prevention Of Development.
Now let us consider, from the stand
point Of prevention, what can be done to
control the great generative .propensities
/ Of the insect. Granting that 1t Is beyond
| our possibility to destroy every fly, can
| we not, to considerable degree prevent
| the development Of the offspring? 1 think
| we can.
| Files at a much earlier date than man
| put into practice the art of incubation.
The necessary conditions for the hatch
ing or incubation of their eggs are two:
| first. heat, and second, moisture. These
| factors are most unfortunately found I'M
| der the filthiest conditions Chief among
| the conditions offering suitable places
for the incubation of fly larvae are sta BILE
manure, vegetable matter and fermenting
organic matter, usually the refuse pile
1T can readily be seen. therefore, that,
| although 1t is not always feasible to de-
| stroy the mature insect. still it is possible
to prevent further development of the
pests by eliminating the breeding places.
The Breeding Places.
| Let US turn to the list of common
nuisances under the control Of the de-
partrnent and enumerate the several con-
ditions which may influence the fly popu-
lation Of this city. They are: Filthy al
leys. filthy areas. filthy cellars. filthy lots,
manure accommodations. unlawful manure
receptacles, unwholesome premises. filthy
yards, sheds and stables and filthy pig
| con and chicken coops. Outside of the
list of insanitary conditions above cited
there occurs but one other condition
| which could. to any considerable extent,
serve as breeding place for fiies-the
open garbage pail. which is beyond the
control Of this department.
mo one realizes more than / do that
many Of these conditions are bound to ex-
list. In spite of the best efforts of the san