OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS 24. 83 



DIRT AND FLIES. 



Attention should be called to the question of dirt, dust, and 

 flies in their relation to foods and the public health. It is a 

 common thing to see sidewalk displays of fruits, berries, vege- 

 tables, meats, fish, etc., entirely unprotected from the clouds of 

 dust blowing up and down the streets, but the dust, however 

 germ laden it may be, is innocence itself in comparison to the 

 flies that come directly from the stable, the hog pen, or the open 

 closet and swarm over the food thus exposed for sale. 



The common house fly, now known as the typhoid fly, breeds 

 chiefly in fresh horse manure, and shows a decided preference 

 for that which is wet and sloppy. It is also known to breed in 

 human excrement, barn yard refuse, and other filth. The eggs 

 hatch within 24 hours after egg laying, the maggots usually 

 attaining full growth within a week, when they transform to 

 pupae remaining in this stage 3 to 7 days, and then emerge as 

 full grown flies. 



The adult flies feed greedily upon all kinds of filth and offen- 

 sive offal> attack sores on all kinds of animals, swarm around the 

 sputum and excreta of persons afflicted with loathsome and 

 dangerous diseases, and then, whenever a chance oflfers, crawl 

 eagerly over food, oftentimes leaving behind a trail of sickness 

 and death. These are facts demonstrated beyond dispute. 



In order to avoid such contamination the conditions surround- 

 ing all places where food is prepared or dispensed should be kept 

 as clean as it is possible to make them. 



Experiments have shown that flies usually will not lay eggs 

 in dark places, neither will maggots develop if the material in 

 which they are found becomes too dry, hence if the manure be 

 drawn out and spread at frequent intervals in accordance with 

 best agricultural practice, or stored in dark or fly proof cellars 

 the development will be prevented. The relatively cheap cement 

 underpinning makes it comparatively easy to construct dark 

 cellars, places where manure and other fly-breeding material can 

 be kept without producing swarms of flies. 



No open closets, open garbage cans, or other avoidable breed- 

 ing places for flies should be allowed near. 



All doors or windows or other openings should be effectually 

 screened. 



