protection of infants and of f(jod 825 



The Protection <>f Infants and the Sk-k. 



By their helpless nature and by the force of circumstances 

 infants are peculiarly subject to the attentions of flies. One has 

 onl}- to visit the populous districts of our towns and cities, where 

 the poorer classes are compelled to live, to observe the advan- 

 tageous conditions under which flies are able to disseminate 

 infection. All too insufficient attention is paid to the careful 

 disposal of human excreta which occur in alleys and odd corners; 

 privies are largely unprotected and the children lie and crawl 

 about. One is impressed by the possibility of the fly-carriage 

 hypothesis of summer diarrhoea and the frequent occurrence of 

 intestinal myiasis becomes no longer surprising. The protection 

 of such infants from the attentions of flies is absolutely essential 

 under such conditions. Nor is it much less essential under most 

 circumstances in the summer when infixnts are wheeled around in 

 their carriages, subject to the attentions of flies whose previous 

 visitations may have been of the foulest description. 



The protection of sick persons, the exclusion of flies from the 

 sickroom or the hospital, are precautions of so obvious a nature in 

 the light of our knowledge of the dangers incurred by the presence 

 of flies, that it should be unnecessary to do more than indicate 

 the necessity for such protective measures. 



Protection of Food. 



In the home, and where it is exposed for or preparatory to 

 sale, food which is liable to become infected by virtue of its being 

 attractive to flies should be protected. Certain foods such as 

 milk, cooked meats, etc., furnish excellent media for the trans- 

 ference of micro-organisms. Not infrequently one is filled with 

 disgust at the sight of such eatables as cakes, confectionery and 

 fruit liberally fouled with fly specks, the significance of which I 

 have already discussed in a former chapter. The exposing of food 

 on the street, in the dairy or cowshed, and in the shop should be 

 prohibited, and it is an encouraging sign to find that sanitary 

 authorities in many of our towns and cities both in Europe and 

 America are not only passing bye-laws to this effect but are 

 enforcing such requirements by fining the oftenders. 



