Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-03-31
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST
THE HOUSE-ELY
(By DR.. jain w. Duke. Commission
er state Board of Healthy

\
er State Board of Healthy
All agencies and conditions that
are injurious TO public health should
be prevented, if possible, and remov-
ed, if they have succeeded in estab |
fishing themselves 1t is absurd for
an individual, or a community. day
after day, to ignore the existence and
causes of prevontable diseases (be-
cause most diseases are preventa-
ble). A slight effort at the right
time affords protection which could
not be secured at later time with
out the utmost endeavor, 1t is now
time to start the campaign against
our common enemy, the house-fly.
Specie of Flies
There are several species OF flies
which are commonly found in the
houses, although but one of these
should properly be called the house
fly. This fly, Musca Domestica,
which is found in nearly all parts Of
the world, is medium-sized grayish
fly, with its mouth parts spread out
at the tip for sucking up liquid sub
stances. On account of the confor-
nation of its mouth parts, the house
fly cannot bite, yet no impression
is stronger in the minds of most
people than that this insect does oc-
casionally bite. This impression is
due to the frequent occurrence in
houses of another fly which is call
ed the stable-fly, and which, while
closely resembling the house-fly, ESQ
closely, in fact, as to deceive anyone
but an entymologist) differs from
it in the important particular that
ing the skin. 1t is perhaps second,
in point of abundance, to the house
| fly in most portions of the North
eastern States. 1t breeds in horse
manure, cow-manure, and in warm,
decaying vegetation, like old straw
and grass heaps.
Flies as Carriers of Disease
The body of the house-fly is thick
ly covered with hair and bristles of
varying length, and this is especially
true OF the legs. Thus, when il
crawls over infected materials it
readily becomes loaded with germs,
and subsequent visits to human
food result in their contamination.
Even more dangerous than trans
ference of germs on the legs and the
body of the fly is the fact that bae-
terra are found in greater number
and live longer in the alimentary
canal. These germs are voided, not
only in the eXcrement of the fly
but also in small droplets of regur-
gitated matter which have been call
ed 'vomit spots" When we real
Ize that flies frequent and feed upon
the most filthy substances Git may
be eXcreta of typhoid or dysentery
patients or the discharges of one
suffering from tuberculosis), and
that they may subsequently contain
mate human foods with their feet,
necessity and importance of house
fly control is clear.
In army camps, in mining camps,
and in great public works, bringing
together large numbers of men for a
longer or shorter time, there is sell
dom the proper care of excreta, and
the carriage of typhoid germs from
the latrines and privies to food by
flies is common and often results
in epidemics of typhoid fever
And such carriage of typhoid is
by no means confined to great tenn
porary camps. In farmhouses in
small communities. and even in bad
ly cared for portions of large cities,
Typhoid germs are carried from ex-
crement to food by flies, and the
lproper supervision and treatment of
the breeding places of the house-fly
become most important elements in
the prevention of typhoid
In this way other intestinal germ
diseases are carried by flies. Asiat-
ic cholera. dysentery. and infantile
diarrhoea are all so carried. MOI
are the disease-bearing possibilities
of the house-fly limited to intestinal
germ diseases. There is strong cir.
cumstantial evidence that tubercu-
losis, anthrax, yaws. Opthalmia
smallpox, tropical sores, and para
sitic worms may be and are so car
ried. Actual laboratory proof ex.
lists in the case of number of these
diseases. and where lacking is re-
placed by circumstantial evidence
amounting almost to certainty.
Care and cleanliness will measur
ably affect the fly nuisance.
SWAT THE FLY