204 THE HOUSE FLY— DISEASE CARRIER 



fact that there are many comparatively intelligent citi- 

 zens who in sanitary matters have not even reached 

 the grade of civilization which demands the sanitary 

 privy. Stiles, in the course of his great work in the 

 Southern States, has brought together some startling 

 figures. He is responsible for the statement that with 

 4,825 American farmhouses in six different States 

 2,664, or fifty-five per cent., have no privies of any 

 kind ; of 2,499 houses inhabited by white people, thirty- 

 five and three-tenths per cent, have absolutely none, 

 and of 2,326 inhabited by negroes seventy-six and 

 eight-tenths per cent, have none. And what shall be 

 said of the condition of a large part — the very great 

 majority — of those which do exist? The uncared-for 

 privy is still a most important factor all over the United 

 States, even in portions of our most cleanly cities. 



In the better class of country houses, especially in 

 summer country communities of city people, efforts 

 have been made to improve this condition of affairs; 

 and it should be said parenthetically that the influence 

 of these summer country communities of city people 

 upon the general conditions of the life of the country 

 people around them is of great and growing value, for 

 the imitative turn of mind of the young country people 

 is overpowering the conservatism of the older indi- 

 viduals. 



But the attempts which have been made even in 

 some of these summer colonies to attack the privy 

 question have not been at all satisfactory. The earth 

 closet has had a great vogue and still remains to a great 



