The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-08-06
FLIES.

The common house fly is one of hu-
manity's worst enemies. His victims
outnumber those of war and his at
no treaties or surrender.
He is the embodiment of filth. He
is born in filth, he spends his destruc-
tive life in filth and he wouldn't be
living up to his instincts if he couldn't
carry it with him wherever he goes.
Compared with him the buzzard is
a model of purity.
Fortunately intelligent men and wo-
men realize that he has risen from
his former rank as mere nuisance
to that of a menace, and they are
making more>o or less strenuous efforts
to avoid him. The screen of windows
and doors of our homes has become
necessity instead of luxury, and we
have learned-some of us-to keep
him from our food and our persons.
With our microscopes we have exam
ined the loads of filth infected with
disease germs that he carries about
on his feet and deposits wherever he
lights.
But while we-some of us-have
learned to avoid him, to make efforts
to Danish him from our living places
we have made but little effort to les
sen his numbers, to attack him in his
breeding places. We have been told
that one healthy fly in a single sea-
son may become the progenitcr thro
successive generations of several hun
dred millions of children and grand
children, each as vigorous and prolific
as the old lady herself, SO that the de-
struction of one fly early in the year
means the destruction of countless po-
tential progeny.
If it were possible to lessen the
breeding Of flies, the fight to keep
them from our kitchens and homes
would be aided correspondiNgly, and
! it is possible to accomplish substan-
tial results.
The fly is not long distance trav-
eler under his own motive power, and
consequently he is most numerous
and most cf menace in the neigh
borhOod of those places whore no re-
strictiOns are put upon his breeding.
His choice of birthplace is in stable
manure heaps where horses are kept,
less in COW stables, and vigorous and
rapid reproduction occurs in uncover
ed garbage and human excreta.
If these places could be cared for
properly, the evil would be greatly di-
minished. The livery stable should be
t1oored with concrete and the drop
pings from animals should be, IS soon
as possible, placed in a screened bin
o. nd ha
should be saturated with kerosene or
boraX solution, to kill the larvae and
to prevent the escape of flies already
Matched, and the manure should be
removed in similarly screened recep-
tacles.
The ordinary water closet, always
flushed after use, is proof against fly
propagation, and the earth closet,
where the other is not possible, should
be screeEed rs carefully as the pantry,
to prevent the fly from reaching the
deposits, and to prevent the escape of
those that may accidentally have en-
tered.
1t is coceded that it is more difficult
to regulate these breeding places out
side of Incorporated cities ard towns,
because the voluntary efforts cf indi-
viduals are not to be depended upon,
even to protect hum2n life and health.
The force of law is necessary. But
in cities, where population is more
congested, the problem is more SER
| ious.
Experience has shown that legisla-
ton, which can be enforced along
these lines and to accomplish these
results, is difficult because of the op-
position from livery stable owners,
who prefer to risk the lives of them
selves and their neighbors rather than
spend the needed dollars for construc-
ton and maintenance of proper equip
ment.
The problem is not a difficult one.
because we know its elements and TIE
effective remedy. Yet it is difficult of
execution because of the greed and
selishnes3 of those who might pro-
vide the solution. Municipal ordi-
Inances requiring the screening of
earth closets have been made decided
ly effective, reducing the typhoid rate
by one half or more. When the prop
er public sentiment can be aroused in
Florida cities. the livery stables will
be made subject to similar effective
Iregula Health Bulletin.