CONTROL OF HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 7 



the disease was stamped out before cold weather and with com- 

 paratively little loss in either life or property. 



The Spanish-American War has resulted in a material addition 

 to our knowledge respecting the part flies may play in the spread 

 of typhoid fever, an infection costing the country $350,000,000 

 annually, it is estimated. The conditions in the army camps were 

 such as to result in the unquestioned indictment of the ordinary 

 house fly as the chief agent, under such conditions, in spreading 

 the deadly germs of typhoid fever and other grave intestinal dis- 

 eases. These conclusions have been supported by thoroughly 

 competent investigators working under quite varied conditions. 

 There is no questioning the deadly potentialities of the hitherto 

 supposedly harmless house fly, if it has access to disease-infected 

 discharges, a condition altogether too frequent in country districts. 



DISEASE CARRIERS 

 Typhoid or house fly' 



Known and tolerated from time immemorial, this insect is more 

 than a nuisance. It is a menace to life under certain conditions. 

 It is far from being a necessary evil, since the adoption of com- 

 paratively inexpensive methods is all that is essential to bring 

 about an enormous reduction in its numbers. 



The fly as a disease carrier. The experience of recent 3'ears, 

 particularly that of the Spanish-American War, has called atten- 

 tion in a most forcible manner to the part flies may play in con- 

 veying typhoid fever and other aflfections of the digestive system. 

 Typhoid fever affects about 250,000 Americans annually, 35,000 

 of the cases proving fatal. There is no denying the important 

 part played by water in carrying this infection, nevertheless the 

 common house fly is a most efficient agent in this work. Virulent 

 typhoid bacilli have been found on the legs and within the body 

 of this insect, persisting in the latter case, for 23 days. A number 

 of serious outbreaks have been observed by competent physicians 

 in various parts of the country, and in each instance the infection 

 through a common water or food supply did not afford a satis- 

 factory explanation. Similarly, the cholera bacillus has been found 

 in large numbers on flies, has been recognized in fly specks 1 7 hours 

 after feeding and as late as four days, and infected flics have carried 

 the disease germs to milk. It is equally certain that flics may 

 convey the germs responsible for certain forms of diarrhoea and 



iMusca domestica Linn. 



