Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-04-20

~ HAT the common house fly is the great
TT est menace to human life in temperate
regions the highest medical and scien-
| tifc authorities in the United States
- and Europe are now generally united in
IT~&1 The dissemination through this in
sect of the epidemic infantile paralysis,
which last year killed thousands of New YOrk's
children is but one of the many counts in the in
dictment against the filthy fly. Infantile paraly-
sis is peculiarly shocking because il deforms chill
dren so cruelty but in its destruction of life it is
far less serious than typhoid fever, which we
now know to be largely fly-borne disease SINH
larry the fly probably causes far more mortality
through its instrumentaty in spreading tubercu-
losis than carrier of infante paralysis.
All the world scientists studying the
fly, discovering dangers to public health
caused by ii and suggesting new methods of eX-
terminating it.
DIR. l.. o. Howard, the chief entOmologst of the
United States government, now suggests that the
name typhoid fly" should be given to the common
house fly, because the latter name fails to suggest
the deadly character.
Mr. Howard tells how the deadly character of
the fly was proved by feeding flies with pure cul-
lures of the typhoid bacillus. Material from the
bodies of the insects and fy-specks made by them
then examined and found to contain the
bacilli. This material injected into animals
and proved to be virulent
Flies Carry Typhoid
There were 100000 cases of typhoid in the Unit
ed States last year, and over $4,000 proved fatal.
During the Spanish-American war flies which had
swarmed over infected matter in the lmestrewn
pits walked over the soldiers food leaving traces
Of lime. Many cases of typhoid occurred, killing
far more than bullets. officers whose tents were
screened from flies showed fewer cases. Typhoid
disappeared in winter, when flies were no longer
about. Infected water was not an important fac
tor in these camps, but a majority of cases must
haap drat tba Aiac MOI than nor
of the total deaths in the war were caused by
typhoid.
The danger of infection is greatly increased by
the fact that typhoid germs may remain active in
q persons intestines long after he has recovered
from fever. Dr. George A. SOper recently discov-
cred q case of a cook employed by several fami-
lies In the vicinity of New York She had recOv-
cred completely from typhoid fever, but she gave
the disease to members of every family where she
was Employed. Four other cases of this kind are
mentfS ned by Doctor Howard.
Spread Enteric Fever.
During the Boer war 100000 British soldiers
were laid up at one time by enteric fever, now
shown to have been spread by flies Profting by
such lessons the United States authorities on the
Panama canal work protected refuse against flies,
and this, together with the careful screening OF
houses, adopted primarily as defense against
malaria reduced typhoid to a negligible quantity
long series of observations is being conducted
showing that flies play an important part In
spreading Asatc cholera. The British warship
Superb, in the Mediterranean, suffered from an
epidemic Of cholera, which continued while at sea-
but on the disappearance Of flies 1t ceased. FRO
fessors Tzzoni and Cattani of Italy. In 1886 found
active cholera germs in the deposits of flies caught
in the cholera wards at Bologna, Italy
Cost Millions Year.
Doctor Howard says the decrease in the vital
assets of country through typhoid fever In
single year is more than $3.50 100000.
The typhoid fly is also dissemination of tuber-
culosis Dr. Frederick T. Lord, the Boston scen-
fist, says:
"Flies may INCEST tubercular sputum and ex-
crete tubercle bacilli. the viruence or which may
last for at least fifteen days"
Matter from tuberculous patients must, there-
FORE not be allowed to come In contact with mes'
and the patients should be screened for their own
good and that Of the rest of the community.
Drs W. NJ Esten and c. J. Mason Of Storrs ex-
pertinent station Connecticut, who counted $50 to
10000 bacteria on flies, observed that these In
sects carried contamination from the pigpens 10
the milk In diaries.
Life History Of Fly.
"The only remedy for this serious condition OF
things" they say "is to remove the plgpen as lar
as possible from the dairy and dwelling house.
Extreme care should be taken in keeping flies
~-'out of the COW stable milk rooms and dwellings,
Doctor Howard has traced the life history OF
the fly finding that 100 eggs are laid by single
female and that in Washington In midsummer
generation is produced every ten days. In eA
nermenting he found that his flies would breed
only in horse waste, but the evidence indicates
that they breed in various kinds Of filth. His con
clusion however, is that the vast majority mus
come from horse stables.
As tested out and recommended by the United
States department of agriculture sprinkling ant
soaking such q pest heap with a solution OF one
half pound of powdered heebore in ten gallons
water (stirring well and allowing 1t to stand 10
"A hours) will destroy all the maggots eggs ant
larvae which are then present. Almost equal
good results although not quite so certain can D.
secured by sprinkllng freely with powdered Dora.
and then pouring water over so as to carry
down all through the mass. The amount of helle
bore solution required is about a gallon TO IN
bushel of manure.
recent calculation of the fly's rate of inc-aasf