224 THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ANIMALS 



1 i 1 



Showing how flies may spread disease by 

 means of contaminating food. 



been laid at their door. In a 

 recent experiment two young 

 men from the Connecticut 

 Agricultural Station found that 

 a single fly might carry on its 

 feet anywhere from 500 to 

 6, 000,000 bacteria, the average 

 number being over 1,200,000. 

 Not all of these germs are 

 harmful, but they might easily 

 include those of typhoid fever, 

 tuberculosis, summer com- 

 plaint, and possibly other 

 diseases. A recent pamphlet 

 published by the Merchants' 

 Association in New York City 



shows that the rapid increase of flies during the summer months 



has a definite correlation with the increase in the number of cases 



of summer complaint. Observations in other cities seem to show 



the increase in number of typhoid cases in the early fall is due, 



in part at least, to the same 



cause. A terrible toll of dis- 



ease and death may be laid at 



the door of the typhoid fly. 

 Recently the stable fly has 



been found to carry the dread 



disease known as infantile 



paralysis. 



Remedies. - Cleanliness 



which destroys the breeding- 



place of flies, the frequent re- 



moval and destruction of gar- 



bage, rubbish, and manure, 



covering of all food when not 



in use and especially the care- 



ful screening of windows and 



doors during the breeding 



100 



90 



80 



SO 



40 



20 



1910 



I 



1911 



.1912 



SEPT. 



otc. 



There were 329 typhoid cases in Jackson- 

 ville, Florida, in 1910, 158 in 1911, s7 

 in first 10 months of 1912. 80 to 85 

 per cent of outdoor toilets were made fly 

 proof during winter of 1910. Account 

 for the decivas-' in typhoid after the 

 flies were kept out of the toilets. 



