Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1919-05-01
SWAT THE FLY!

And when you come to dis
cuss his habits, he is a disgust
ing subject. But it is neces
sary to discuss his habits in or
der that people may arrive a
a more adequate appreciation
of the really grave problem O
the fly.
Because our forebears die
not appreciate the gravity o:
the problem is no reason why
we should shut our eyes to it
The attitude of the forebear,
on the fly question was aptly
put by a little tot, who ex
pressed surprise that some peo
pie make so much fuss about
flies, and said, eve just lei
'em bower u.s."
DR.. Sweet, of the U. S. Pub.
lie Health Department, has
this to say about the fly:
''In its habits the fly is prob.
ably the most Objectionable in.
sect with which man comes in
contact.
"The fly not only breeds in
filth, but it continues to fire.
quent Objectionable material
throughout the days of it's ex-
istence, leaving only to invade
the residence of man, contain
mate his food, and oftentimes
to spread disease.
"Flies may transmit disease
in either, of two ways. The
first method is by mechanical
transference, whereby the in
sect becomes contaminated
with the parasites of micro
organizma of disease as a con-
sequence of frequenting filth
and places where these agents
abound, thus carrying patho-
genie organisms directly to
food and drink partaken of by
man.
milk, which is one of the
best media for the growth of
bacteria, may be contaminated
by flies merely through the act
of feeding.
"The second method of dis
ease transmission is by inocula-
ton. Fortunately houseflies
are of the non-biting variety,
and therefore incapable of
spreading disease in this way.
"Of the diseases which may
be transmitted by houseflies
the following are worthy of
consideration % Typhoid fever,
diarrhoea and enteritis, chol-
era, dysentery, para-typhoid
fever, intestinal parasitic in
fections, sleeping sickness, sur
ra, nagana.
Another manner in which
flies disseminate infection is
through the regurgitation or
vomiting of food. 1t is un-
pleasant to consider that in
sects which have but recently
frequented garbage heaps, GUS
pidors and manure piles may
be guests at our tables, but it is
all the more disgusting to con-
slider that the very material of
they have partaken
should be subsequently dis
tributed over our own food and
then received into our system
The number of such vomited
spots deposited by well-fed
house flies may be enormous,
frequently rising to a hundred
or more a day."
But someone may say, Il
can't spend all my time chasing
flies. What am l to do?"
And another will say, II can't
afford all this expensive TOM
foolery to fight flies"
We will tell you of a remedy
that will mitigate the fly
nuisance to an amazing extent,
and doesn't cost a cent-just a
little trouble.
First, get the fact fixed in
your mind that, as Dr.. Sweet
says, flies breed in filth.
In a town like Estancia
three-fourths of the flies breed
in privy boxes.
Now get another fact fixed
in your mind, namely: Flies
abhor any dry, poWdery SUD-
stance.
Therefore, take one of those
lard buckets that abound ir
this country, fill it with dry
wood OF coal ashes and set il
in the closet. Deposit the toilet
paper in another place, 'ano
keep the contents of the bo,
covered with dry ashes. Re
sult-a breeding place for flies
is entirely abolished if YOU
work is thoroughly done. Dis
posing of the paper otherwise
than by dropping it in the boz
is important, for the reasor
that paper prevents thorough
ly covering the other mattel
with ashes.
Around a country dwelling