The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-04
TELLS OF FLIES
Campaign Started in Topeka
Against Disease Spreaders.
Are Responsible for Many
Thousands of Deaths.

The third Of a series of articles on
public health written for The State
Journal by DR.. Earle G. Brown, city
health officer, follows:
The Fly.
There are two old sayings that have
long ago been cast into the discard.
One is about the individual who was
so tender hearted that he wouldH't
harnf a fly" At the present time in
the light of recent Investigations, there
isn't any one who would not kill fly
whenever the opportunity presented
The other is about the person who
was ''as harmless as fly" 1t has
been shown that the fly is one of the
greatest enemies of mankind.
The question often arises: Did the
fly kill anyone? Most assuredly! The
fly alone has been responsible for
many thousands of deaths. In the
Spanish-American war, the fly was
responsible for many more deaths
than the bullets of the Spanish SOL
diers.
Flies Spread Disease.
Flies are responsible for the trans
mission of many diseases, such as
tuberculosis, cholera, dysentery, ty-
phoid fever and summer complaint.
Undoubtedly, last year, the fly was
responsible for many of the sixty-one
cases OIL -Iyp0Olu 1SNST tIdI WCAC ~
ported in the city of Topeka.
There are many varieties of flies,
but the one most common is known as
Musca Domestica. In the days When
the fly was classed as one or the
friends of mankind, one enthusiast
dancing light attendance UPON Hy-
The fly develops thru successive
stages, so dissimilar, that it suggests
wholly different forms of life. The
various stages are: The ovum or
chrysalis and the adult From the
time the egg is laid until the fly
reaches adult life, a period of seven 10
fourteen days intervenes, Depending
on weather conditions
The egg must be laid when there is
both warmth and food Therefore it
is usually laid in vegetable or refuse
matter that is about to ferment, the
most common places being filth, de-
cayed garbage and stable refuse, the
latter being preferred.
The interesting points about the
adult fly are that it has non-pierc-
ing, retractile probosciss thru which
food is sucked; the salivary glands
are very large and saliva is freely ex-
perforated on dry foods, which are
therefore dissolved prior to ingestion
The body and legs are covered with
fine hairs and bristles. The feet are
provided with hairs, terminal claws
and adhesive pads, the latter being
covered with. fine hairs and moistened
with a sticky substance. by means of
which the insect maintains it's foot
hold.
Has Preference In Foods.
The fly will alternate between the
kitchen and places of filth. 1t pre-
fers certain foods and these are pro-
cured from the kitchen swilltubs, gar
bage or stable. The fly will eat clean
, food, but its main delight seems to be
merely in crawling over it, thus leav-
ing a trail of germs in its wake.
The female lays from 100 to $50
eggs at one time, and during her life
| time will lay five or six patches. The
number of descendants therefore, from
one fly, by the end of the summer will
be very great.
1t is important to kill the first flies,
and one of the necessary measures is
to do away with the breeding places.
Screening ofNdoors and windows is i'm
portant to keep the fly out of the
kitchen and other parts of the house.
Fly poisons, fly papers, and swatters
are all very important. but if there is
not a suitable place to lay the eggs,
there will be many less flies in the
neighborhood.
Purchase your groceries in a store
that does not have flies. If you eat
at restaurant, make sure there are
no flies.
The presence of great numbers of
flies is an indication of filth nearby,
and means that steps should be taken
! to eradicate the insanitary conditions.