The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-05
FLIES
Board of Health Bulletin

Board of Health Bulletin.)
The common house fly is one of
humanity's worst enemies. His vic
tins outnumber those of war and his
attacks on mankind are concluded by
no treaties or surrender.
He is the embodiment of filth. He
is born in filth, he spends his de-
structive life in filth and he would
not be living up to his instincts if
he could not carry it with him wher-
ever he goes. Compared with him
the buzzard is a model of purity.
Fortunately intelligent men and
women realize that he has risen from
his former rank as a mere nuisance
to that of a menace, and they are
making more or less strenuous eff
forts to avoid him. The screen of
windows and doors of our homes
has become necessity instead Of a
hurry, and we have learned-some
of us-to keep him from our food
and our persons. With our micro
scopes we have examined 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
lessen his numbers, to attack him
in his breeding places. We have
been told that one healthy fly in a
single season may become the pro-
genitor through successive genera
tions of several hundred millions Of
children and grandchildren, each as
vigorous and prolific as the old lady
herself, so that the destruction of
one fly early in the year means the
destruction of countless potential
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 numer-
GUS and most of a menace in the
neighborhood of those places where
no restrictions 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 I'M uncovered garbage and hui
man excreta.
If these places could be cared for
properly. the evil would be greatly
diminished. The livery stable should
be foored with concrete and the
droppings from animals should be-
as soon as possible, placed in a
, screened bin and the contents, be-
fore removal, should be saturated
with kerosene or borax solution, tC
kill the larvae and to prevent the
escape of flies already Matched, and
, the manure should be removed in
: similarly screened receptacles.
= The ordinary water closet, al
, ways flushed after use, is proc
against fly propagation, and the
: earth closet, where the other is mo-
! possible, should be screened as care
: fully as the pantry, to prevent thu
: fly from reaching the deposits, ant
to prevent the escape of those tina
: may accidentally have entered.
1t is conceded that it is more diff
ficult to regulate these breedin,
: places outside of incorporated cite
r and towns, because the voluntary eff
= forts of individuals are not to be de
pended upon, even to protect human
l life and health The force of Law
is necessary. But in cities, wher
i. population is more congested, tn
problem is more serious.
Experience has shown that legis
lation, which can be enforced alon
| these lines and to accomplish thes
e results, is difficult because of tn
4 opposition from livery stable owners
n who prefer to risk the lives of them
h selves and their neighbors rattle
: than spend the needed dollars fo
e the construction and maintenance c
n proper equipment.
t The problem is not difficult on,
d because we know its elements an
d the effective remedy. Yet it is diff
:? cult of execution because of til
: greed and selfishness of those VIII
: might provide the solution. Munic
:? pal ordinances requiring the screeI
e ing of earth closets have been mac
e decidedly effective, reducing the t.
l. phoid rate by one-half or more
II When the proper public sentimeI
t can be aroused in Florida cities, IL
l. livery stables will be made subje
l. to similar effective regulation