Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-16
Outlines Development of ''In-
ternationaI Insect" Before
Parent-TeaChers' Society.
TWELVE GENERATIONS A
YEAR FROM SINGLE ONE
Born In, Live In and Garry Filth.
Are the Known Distributors
of Many Diseases.

Terming the house fly the 'interna-
tonal insect" DIR. Arthur L. Murray
of the District of Columbia health de-
partment, in an address before the
Teachers and Parents Association of
the Gales School recently, compre-
hensively outlined the origin and de-
velopment of the pest, described the
methods by which it spreads disease
and suggested measures for eXtermi-
mating 1t.
The health expert stated that at the
end of each season certain flies. on ac-
count Of some special vitality or fit
ness, are able to survive the winter in
more or less dormant state.
when we consider the prodigious
reproductive powers Of the fly we can
readily understand that not many
members are required to regenerate
the entire tribe within a comparatively
| short period" he said. The females
of these over-winter survivors come
forth with the first warm weather.
Each female deposits about 120 eggs at
each laying.
A Generation Every Two Weeks.
Under favorable conditions the eggs
will hatch into small white larva or
maggOts One-fourth of an inch in
length in twenty-four hours. At the
end Of from five to seven days the
| maggots mott and pass to the pupal
stage. which is a trifle larger than that
of the larva. and become brown in
color. After a second period of from
five to seven days the adult fly issues
from the puparium ready to cause both
man and beast as much annoyance and
Ymisery as he is capable of.
Thus. 1t is seen that the cycle of de-
velopment of a fly occupies from ten to
fourteen days. the warmer the weather
the shorter the period of development.
1t has been estimated by DR.. Howard,
etomologst for the United States Depart
| ment of Agriculture, that twelve genera
tons of flies may occur in locality geo
| graphically situated as is Washington in
a single season.
DR.. Murray stated that it is estimated
that 1920. 7O5. COO. OOO.OoO.OOO flies may
spring from a single ancestor in one sea-
son of twelve generations But fortu-
nately. he said. there are many factors
| which prevent all the eggs laid by one
female from becoming adult flies. 1t is
believed to be conservative estimate,
he declared. that only eight billion 154
million flies compose the aggregate de-
scendants of one female insect for a sin
gle season.
Breed in Filthiest Places.
DR.. Murray pointed out that flies in
which to breed. The necessary conditions
for the Matching of the eggs are two:
heat and moisture. These factors usually
| are best supplied under filthy conditions.
such as fermenting and putrefying vege-
| table and animal matter. the garbage
| pail. the refuse pile and the carcass of
dead animals.
Referring to the habits Of the insects,
he stated that flies normally will not
travel more than 300 to 800 feet from
their breeding places, and that the elimi-
nation of the breeding places. therefore,
will make possible the determination of
the disease-spreading horde.
Flies are born in filth, live in filth and
| carry filth said DR.. Murray. They eat
at our table, even from the same plate:
the butter gambol over the sugar. swim
in the milk and frequently end by COM
hitting suicide in the coffee. They dis
turb the sleep Of the infant: often seri-
phoid fever or other depressing illnesses.
Distributes Many Diseases.
But now for the more serious charge
against his fyship. The insect is the
known distributor of many. diseases. such
as typhoid fever. tuberculosis. intestinal
disorders. especially among infants, and
cholera. Other diseases probably carried
by the fly are anthrax. plague. trachoma.
erysipelas. septicemia. hospital gangrene,
smallpox and the eggs of certain Of the
animal parasites. such as hOokwOrms,
tapeworms and the nematodes of round
worms.
DR.. Murray expressed the opinion that
tflies carry infective organisms principally
| by means OF their feet They visit the
open garbage pail, the obstructed sewer.
the puddle from the leaky waste pipe and
other insanitary places. he pointed out,
and then fly to the unscreened kitchen.
lunchroom, bakery or grocery store and
| leave their visiting cards OF bacteria and
| filth.
| I'm all their visits they leave behind
them unseen. but nevertheless dangerous.
messengers of illness and death from their
germ-laden feet. Disease attacks human
| beings only when they are brought In
contact with it,
Measures for Eradication.
| Dr. Murray recommended the follow
| ing measures for the eradication of the
pest:
| Kill or destroy as many flies as pos
sible early in the season and thus pre-
vent the development Of their offspring.
| Eliminate as far as possible their breed
ing places. Keep everything clean. using
as a motto, mo refuse, no flies. Il.
| Screen your houses and encourage
others to do likewise. Use fly paper. fly
traps and other methods OF destroying the
insects. Show the fly no mercy he offers
| no quarter.
| Special effort should be made. DR.. Muir
ray said to keep flies away from the
sick. particularly those who are suffer
ing from contagious and infectious dis
eases.
ANSWERS LARCENY CHARGE.