New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06

high scientific standing. The report
of that commission has, everywhere in
scientific circles, been accepted as au-
thoritative.
What Flies Did to Our Soldiers.
II declared: "Flies undoubtedly
served as carriers Of the infection.
The reasons given for its conclusion
were summed up as follows: (a) Files
swarmed over infected fecal matter in
the pits and then visited and fed upon
the food prepared for the soldiers at
the mess tents. In some instances,
where lime had recently been sprinkled
over the contents Of the pits, flies with
their feet whitened with lime were
seen walking over the food. OBJ Ohi-
GERS whose mess tents were protected by
means of screens, suffered proportion
ately less from typhoid fever than
those whose tents were not so protect
ed. (c) Typhoid fever gradually dis
appeared in the fall of 1893, with the
APPROACH Vi NOlN ntoAhNA c4'N
sequent disabling Of the fly.
at is possible for the fly to carry
the typhoid bacillus in two ways. In
the first place, fecal matter contain
ing the typhoid germ may adhere to
the fly and be mechanically trans
ported. In the second place, it is pos
sible that the typhoid bacillus may be
carried in the digestive organs of the
fly and may be deposited with its eX-
crement."
Similar conclusions were reached
later by British medical observers dur
ing the Boer War. So the guilt OF
spreading typhoid fever was conclu-
sively fastened upon the deadly house
fly. According to figures kindly fur
nished me by Surgeon General Rupert
Blue. there we're at least 174,20O cases
Of typhoid fever and 1920 deaths
tberefrom in the United States during
the year 1913. That the majority OF
those cases were due to the pernicious
activity of the deadly house fly there
can be no reasonable doubt.
Thus it is far more important for
the vacationst to be on his guard
against the deadly house fly than
against "cool springs" and "leafy
pools" He may, it is true, shun those
to advantage, but he would be wiser
bv far TO avoid, as far as possible, eat
ing anything that a fly has erawied
over. or drinking milk or water that
has been exposed to flies. Visitors to
summer resorts should vigorously ban
houses or restaurants that are infested
by flies.
Some of the Fly's Other Crimes.
But there are other equally cogent
reasons for guarding against the dead
" house fly. DR.. Howard gives the
following list Of diseases carried by
the fly: cholera, dysentery, diarrhea'
tuberculosis, anthrax, yaws (Frambae-
STA tropical, ophthalmia, diphtheria'
smallpox, plague, tropical sore, para
site worms. Truly, a formidable list
but even these are not all. During
1918 there were in the United States
about 1,I4o,SOO cases Of tuberculosis
and 14S,72O deaths. How large pro-
norton of those were due to the agen-
CIV Of the deadly house fly cannot be
certainly stated, but undoubtedly 1t
was very large.
Concerning diarrhea and "enterltis'
commonly known as summer com
plaint," DR.. Howard says: at is doubt
full whether the average person begins
70 realize the full extent Of the ravage'
of this disease, and indeed of the NOR
tality among young children. The
Census Bureau shows that in 1908
nearly one-ffth of the deaths in the
registration area OF the United States,
comprising about one-half of the pop
u,ation Of the country as a whole, were
Of children under one year, and that
Tho deaths of children under five years
.oronrise more than one-quarter OF the