Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-05-27
Swat THE FLY
URGES CITY
HEALTH OFFICER
Health Department to Look
After Removal of
Garbage
WAR AGAINST FLIES
Urges Screening of Doors and Win
dows-COOking Destroys Practically
All Germs

Health Officer. DR.. L. +. Foulkes,
wishes TO strongly impress upon our
citizens that now is the time 10 be
gin our annual fight agains the fly.
This is the season when the ines
that have lived through the winter,
begin to breed. Most of the flies you
see now are females loaded with
eggs. hunting for a suitable place
TO deposit them. Manure piles, open
garbage cans, heaps of trash. open
toilets. and accumulations of filth
of anv kind are choice breeding
places for the house fly. Notify the
Health Department regarding. the
removal of garbage. But kindly re-
member that this department has
nothing to do with the removal OF
ashes and trash or the cleaning OF
alleys. All of this work IS IN the
hands of the City Engineer, Mr..
Dunn, City Hall. Phone 334.
The Health Department has neither
carts, men or money for doing this
kind of work, nor does it remove
dead animals. In order 10 make any
headway against the fly. the work
of fighting them must be general
and along cooperative lines. All
must recognize the fact that the fly
is a most deadly enemy. Don't tol-
rate any conditions about your
home that may serve as a fly breed
ing places or that may furnish them
food
Screen. every window aod door of
your house. Keep your fishes and
food covered at all times Don't
open milk bottle until you have
carefully washed off the neck and
top Of some. Never let it stand in the
house unless the top is covered with
an inverted drinking glass or other
protector. Milk is the most easily in
fected form of food We have in daily
us, so take special care of it and
thus save YOUR children from dam
ger. Your Health Department keeps
watch over it from the dairy to YOU
but you must guard it after it
reaches your hands A large per
cent Of cases of summer diarrhoea in
children. are caused by fly-infected
milk, due to carelesSnesS in the
home.
Remember that the fly enters vour
house with his hairy feet and body
covered with disease germs, and
when he walks over your dishes or
food, he leaves some of these germs
there. That is one of the wavs ty-
phoid fever and mfantile diarrhoea is
spread. so guard against it.
Remember that flies are borne in
filth. they breed in filth and carry
filth into your house TO pollute your
food and eating utensils.
1t is far safer and easier to keep
flies out of your house by proper
screening. than to get them out
once they are in.
There is only one safe and sure
wav to guard AGAINST the danoerous
disease distributing fly. and that il
is to keep him out. If You see m
covered cakes in 4 store. don't buy
them. for yor will take a great risk
Cooking viii DESTROY practically all
disease germs. so it IS the food that
is eaten raw or without further
cooking after It reaches YOUR hands.
that YOU must guard against. For
If it has not been properly protected
by the dealer. it may be fly-infected
and dangerous. 1t will thus be seen
that II is up TO the Individual to use
Judgment. care and common sense
in purchasing and handling food.