THE HOUSE FLY. 23 



treatment of privies is unsatisfactory. No box privy should be 

 permitted to exist unless it is thoroughly and regularly treated with 

 some effective larvicide. Since the fecal matter in such privies is 

 seldom used for fertilizing purposes it may well be treated liberally 

 with borax. The powdered borax may be scattered over the exposed 

 surface so as to whiten it. An application two or three times a week 

 dm"ing the fly season ought to prevent all fly breeding in such matter. 



WHAT COMMUNITIES CAN DO TO ELIMINATE THE HOUSE FLY. 



Antifly crusades have been very numerous in recent years, and 

 some have been noteworthy both in methods and in results. How- 

 ever, it will not be amiss here to emphasize the importance of con- 

 certed, organized effort on the part of whole communities, not only 

 cities, but suburban and rural neighborhoods as well. By the most 

 painstaking care one may prevent all fly breeding on his premises, but 

 it will avail him little if his neighbors are not equaUy careful. Some 

 sort of cooperation is necessary. One of the first and most important 

 elements in any antifly crusade is a vigorous and continued educa- 

 tional campaign. It has been the experience of those who have un- 

 dertaken such crusades that people generally regard the fly as a some- 

 what harmless nuisance and that the first work of the campaign was 

 to bring the people to a realization of the dangers from flies and the 

 possibility of getting rid of them. In the educational campaign 

 every possible means of publicity can be employed, including news- 

 papers, lectures, moving pictures, posters, handbills, cartoons, instruc- 

 tion in schools, etc. 



The antifly crusade is a matter of public interest and should be 

 supported by the community as a whole and engineered by the health 

 officers. But health officers can do little toward the necessary work 

 of inspection and efimmation without funds, and therefore the sup- 

 port of the campaign must manifest itself in increased appropriations 

 for public-health work. Very often it is lack of funds which pre- 

 vents the health officers from taking the initiative in the antifly cru- 

 sades, and there must necessarily be much agitation and education 

 before they can profitably take up the work. Right here hes a field 

 for civic associations, women's clubs, boards of trade, etc., to exercise 

 their best energy, initiative, and leadership. 



I 



