70 THE ORGANISED ANTI-FLY CAMPAIGN 



prodigies of insanitation would come to light ; and the 

 benefit of such a regular inspection would be immeasur- 

 able, if at the same time the men could assist tenants 

 in putting and keeping the premises in order and 

 making them proper and clean. The health-officer 

 who organises and succeeds in such work can be justly 

 regarded as a true philanthropist. If every house, 

 every courtyard, every slum in the East End of 

 London, in Liverpool, Manchester, the Potteries, 

 Birmingham, and other large cities could be visited, 

 inspected, and reported upon once every week by an 

 inspector and two labourers armed with brooms, spades, 

 a hand-cart, and advice, a difference would soon be 

 forthcoming. It is astonishing what an amount of 

 filthy rubbish accumulates in such places, and such 

 rubbish harbours flies, fleas, bugs, and with these disease. 

 Tropical medicine, which has made such great strides 

 during the past few years, has shown that insects play 

 an important role in the transmission of disease ; and 

 that such diseases are best prevented by preventing 

 these harmful insects malaria, yellow fever, plague, 

 dengue, elephantiasis, relapsing fever, sleeping-sickness, 

 are all insect-borne; and these can be abolished by 

 abolishing the insects concerned. The question of insect 

 prevention is a question of sanitation ; and sanitation is 

 best accomplished in the manner described. 



But the inspectors and their workmen must be 

 honest. If they are accused of petty pilfering the 

 whole project will fall into the abyss of disrepute, and 

 sanitation will be retarded instead of advanced. Good 

 honest men should be chosen at the outset and their 

 services retained. Men having families residing in the 

 neighbourhood should be procured if possible. The 

 possibility of dishonesty amongst the men composing 



