The Yale expositor., 1913-05-15

have been traced in many cases directly into sick
rooms as well as to markets and fruit stalls
where foodstuffs displayed, without being
screened. BY such means as this flies were
traced during an outbreak of typhoid fever In
Plattsburgh n Y. The local authorities thought
that drinking water milk. or some like sup
ply was infected, but an investigator from New
York went to the Saranac river, into which the
sewage OF Plattsburgh carried, and from
there he traced flies they went into moving
picture show attended by large audience, and
he traced the flies as they went from the "mov-
les back TO the river
Countless instances OF the spread of various
diseases have been recorded all over the country,
and as a result instead Of being regarded merely
as a harmless, though annoying little pest. the
house fly is today considered one Of the dead
liest enemies man has 20 contend with. Far
more dangerous than war; for the fly is every
where every summer. excepting in enlightened
communities. like Cleveland, Ohio which is rap.
idly becoming pretty nearly a iyless city.
Last year experiments were undertaken In
number of places to exterminate flies. Newspa-
pers Of Worcester, Mass. offered money prizes
for the largest quantity Of flies caught. and the
results were astonishing. One enterprsing lad ~
twelve years won the first prize OF 800 when he
delivered ninety.hve quarts OF flies But 1t was
found out later that i'm order to succeed he had
actually gone into the business OF breeding flies
in heaps of fish offal. Altogether the city OF
Worcester caught and killed forty bushels OF
interested in fly determination not offering
prizes I'm the same way this year for dead flies.
In a good many communities prizes are offered
for hyless blocks Of houses or for farms or barns
that have flies or in them.
Organizations like the Womans Municipal
League of Boston are paying for steropticon lee
lures delivered before all sorts of audiences.
and are getting Boy Scouts, District Nursing as
sociations. school children, and others at work
in the effort. One OF the scientists most actively
interested is G. F. Hodge. professor OF biology
at Clark university. who has accomplished, re-
markable results by screening houses to keep
flies on the outside by killing winter flies when
they awake in early spring and crawl out OF
cracks picture holdings, and other dark places
where they spend the cold weather. and by catch
ing in traps of his design millions of young
flies before they can get to kitchen diningroom
or restaurant.
One of the most effective steps taken in the
campaign OF education is due to Mr.. Hatch who
sent man TO London, at his own expense. and
there had made microscopic photographs OF flies
and their dangerous activities from which NOV
ing picture film was constructed. The film, shown
all over the country is believed to have done
more than any other one thing to bring millions
Of people to realize how great is the danger from
flies and how necessary to remove u.
One OF the most ingenious methods for teach
ing children facts regarding flies is seen In
small pamphlet prepared by Jean Dawson of the
Cleveland Normal scaool who has adopted the
question and answer plan of instruction. After
explaining in this way why flies are dangerous
how they spread disease. where they spend the
winter and what they do in spring the little book
tells about their breeding, their food. and how
they carry dirt as we'll as disease.
The closing questions and answers fol-
lows:
90 Can family escape the dangers from flies
by screening them out Of the house?
No not il they food over which flies have
swarmed fallen into
81. DO flies carry sickness and death to many
people IN the United States2
There are nearly five hundred thousand cases
OF typhoid fever yearly in the United States. and
nearly $4,000 deaths Much OF this distributed
by flies Forty.nine thousand infants die an
nuay OF enteritis or summer complaint the
germs Of which probably all carried 10 the
milk by files Flies known TO be the
most deadly enemy OF man. They kill more peo-