Notes. 



387 



The Disposal of Manure: A New Device. 



There is published in the South African Medical Record of the 

 24th June, 1922, a meinoranduin by Dr. Haydon, the Assistant 

 Medical Officer of Health for the Union, on the disposal of animal 

 manure and garbage in relation to fly-breeding, and the prevention 

 of enteric fever and other intestinal diseases. It refers to' a new 

 device, known as " Baber's," for storing manure and garbage in 

 enclosures, the object being to attract aJl mother flies in the neigh- 

 bourhood to lay their eggs in the manure and thereafter to destroy the 

 maggots that have been hatched : at the same time the process of 

 stacking rots down tlie manure quickly, making it suitable for fertil- 

 izer. Faimers are well aware of the high proportion of ily-bome 

 diseases, and for the reason alone that by its means flies are reduced to 

 a minimum, the device deserves their consideration. But in addition 

 to this outstanding service, it serves the purpose of collecting and 

 putting to' the best use all farm manure and refuse of a fertilizing 

 value. 



The device consists of enclosures of wire mesh on cement or brick 

 platforms. (See accompanying illustration). A channel sunk in the 



Perspective showing Handling of Manuie on small scale. 



platform surrounds the enclosure ; the manure and garbage are 

 dumped in the enclosure and firmly trodden down, and the heat 

 engendered by the fresh material (very attractive to flies) drives all 

 maggots through the meshes of the containijig fence so that they 

 eventually fall into the sunken channel when they are collected and 

 destroyed. This method has been tried by the Kimberley Munici- 

 pality with very satisfactory results; also at Armoed's Vlakte, Vry- 

 burg, it has been found to render practically fly-free what was 

 formerly a badly fly-infested place. 



It is necessary to have more than one of these enclosures to get 

 the best results. The fresh manure is forked direct into the enclosure, 

 being well pressed down, especially round the sides. Close packing- of 

 the manure at the edges is the secret of success : this consolidates the 

 heap, enaliles decomposition to set in more rapidly, and provides the 

 required heat in the stack. In the centre of the stack holes may be 

 made from time to lime for burying in the contents of latrine buckets, 

 offal, and any house refuse that will easily rot. The heat in the stack 



