The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-06-10
Be Sure You're Right
Then Go Ahead

When men act on The principle Of
intelligence. says Walter Lippman.
they go out and find the facts and
to MAKE their wisdom. [acquire defin-
lite knowledge, discover right ways to
achieve desirable endsl 1t Is not So
many years ago when people firmly be-
lieved that chills and fever malaria
was caused by bad air arising from
swamps and low ground, and it is only
little over twenty-five years ago that
Its origination and source from the am
opheles mosquito bites, was discovered.
Other mosquitoes are mol guilty In this
respect. AT the St. Louis Worlds Ex-
position in 1905 demonstrator in the
sanitary department showed how a
home could be perfectly screened
against all danger Of fever infection,
malaria as well as yellow fever from
mosquito bites. He also explained how
by drainage and by spraying of oil
on water holes the breeding Of mosque
toes could be successfully prevented.
Since that time the sanitation Of motor
ious fever areas has marched forward
apace and it is confidently believed
that every part of the earth's surface
can be turned into healthful habita-
lions for mankind by sanitary precau-
tionary measures successfully demon
strated.
The menace to human life from the
insect world was discussed at the psy-
Geological meeting at Llano Colony on
Thursday night, June |, and especially
the common housefly was on the ca--
pet. thoroughly dissected, metaphor
calIy speaking, and no one had good
word to say for it. There can be no
question that the housefly, if not effec-
lively fought, is dangerous menace
to pubic health, and rigorous meas
ures were advocated for It's destruction.
Proper sanitation Of the outhouses, sta
bles and privies was recommended,
and the use Of tangle-foot and poison
fly paper, as well as vigorous cam
paign with fly swatters advocated. We
no not realize that if the checks pro-
vided by nature to restrain the gigan-
tic fecundity of the insect world were
hampered for only fraction Of the
year, the earth would be stripped Of its
vegetation and the animal life Of the
globe would become extinct. In spite
of all the efforts of the farmers in COM
batting the insect pests preying upon
their crops, it is estimated that the loss
caused by them per annum to farm
crops exceeds one billion dollars.
The fly, breeding in the excrements
of humans and animals, is responsible
for many serious cases Of illness that
can be prevented only by relentless
campaign against it. The losses in IN
dustry causes by sickness. originating
in insect infection, no doubt, if defin-
itely ascertained would also total bill
lion or more.
This shows the Importance OF deal
ing with such questions intelligently,
for the righteous scope of psychology
is TO teach people to bring intelligence
to bear upon each and every one Of the
problems of life, instead Of ignorance;
and calmeness and poise instead OF SUI
perstition and prejudice. If we are
10 Be mutually helpful and to live hap
PLY together. We must deal with all our
affairs in an intelligent and mutually
considerate way.
AS ]. H. TiIden, M. D., in his "Pock-
ct Dietitian,'' says:
"A great store Of (supposedl know
ledge, cleaned from books and labor
atory work and the experiment. Of 9TH
ers, may make very full life; but il
attainments have not been tested by
the acid Of experience, the great load
of knowledge may not be true. . : =
A life that has not honesty investigat-
ed popular beliefs to find out if they
are true or not. but has accepted them
on the authority [arbitrary dictum OF
social prestigel Of school, creed, OF
custom, is a failure, even if it has gone
to a hundred. No life is a failure that
has wrestIed with nature, as Jacob
wrestled for Israel. and refused to give
up until blessed by an analyzing vision