200 



[September, 1909. 



" The orders of the liealth department 

 of the district of Columbia, published 

 May 3, 1906, if carried out will be very 

 effective. These orders may be briefly 

 condensed as follows :"— 



" All stalls in which animals are kept 

 shall have the surface of the ground 

 covered with a water-tight floor. Every 

 person occupying a building where 

 domestic animals are kept shall main- 

 tain, in connection therewith, a bin or 

 pit for the reception of manure, and 

 pending the removal from the premises 

 of the manure from the animal or ani- 

 mals shall place such manure in said 

 bin or pit. This bin shall be so con- 

 structed as to exclude rain water, 

 and shall in other respects be water-tight, 

 except as it may be connected with 

 the public sewer. It shall be provided 

 with a suitable cover and construct- 

 ed so as to prevent the ingress and 

 egress of flies. No person owning a 

 stable shall keep any manure or permit 

 any manure to be kept in or upon any 

 portion of the premises other than the 

 bin or pit described, nor shall he allow 

 any such bin or pit to be overfilled or 

 needlessly uncovered. Horse manure 

 may be kept tightly rammed into well- 

 covered barrels for the purpose of 

 removal in such barrels. Every person 

 keeping manure in any of the more 

 densely populated parts of the district 

 shall cause all such manure to be re- 

 moved from the premises at least twice 

 every week between June 1 and Octo- 

 ber 31, and at least once every week 

 between November 1 and May 31 of the 

 following year. No person shall remove 

 or transport any manure over any public 

 highway in any of the more densely 

 populated parts of the district except 

 in a tight vehicle, which, if not enclosed, 

 must be effectually covered with can- 

 vas, so as to prevent the manure from 

 being dropped. No person shall deposit 

 manure removed from the bins or pits 



within any of the more densely popu- 

 lated parts of the district without a 

 permit from the health officer." 



A significant pragraph in Mr. New- 

 stead's Liverpool report, referred to 

 above, contains the following words : — 

 "The most strenuous efforts should be 

 made to prevent children defecating in 

 the courts and passages ; or that the 

 parents should be compelled to remove 

 such matter immediatedly ; and that 

 defecation in stable middens should be 

 strictly forbidden. The danger lies in 

 the overwhelming attraction which 

 such fecal matter has for house flies, 

 which later may come into direct con- 

 tact with man or his food stuffs." 



"We have thus shown that the typhoid 

 or house fly is a general and common 

 carrier of pathogenic bacteria. It may 

 carry typhoid fever, Asiatic cholera, 

 dysentery> cholera morbus, and other 

 intestinal diseases ; it may carry the 

 bacilli of tuberculosis and certain eye 

 diseases ; it is everywhere present, and 

 it is disposed of with comparative ease. 

 It is the duty of every individual to 

 guard so far as possible against the occur- 

 rence of flies upon his premises. It is the 

 duty of every community, through its 

 board of health, to spend money in 

 the warfare against this enemy of man- 

 kind. This duty is as pronounced as 

 though the community were attacked 

 by bands of ravenous wolves." 



This illuminating paper concludes With 

 a short account of "Endemic Disease 

 as Affecting the Progrees of Nations." 



After reading the crushing indictment 

 set forth so ably in Dr. Howard's paper, 

 one is constrained to ask — What are we 

 doing in Ceylon towards the scientific 

 prevention or mitigation of our insect- 

 borne diseases ? 



E. ERNEST GREEN. 



Government Entomologist. 



GUMS, RESINS, SAPS AND EXUDATIONS. 



ACCOUNT OF MANURIAL TRIAL 

 ON YOUNG RUBBER TREES. 



By E. Mathiew. 



Situation of Estate.— Singapore, Hol- 

 land Road. 



Otvner.—F. M. Elliot, Esq. 



Age of Trees. —The trees are from seed 

 sown in February, 1907. 



Nature of Soil— Light-grey sandy on 

 yellow clay sub-soil.— Boor in humus and 



other plant food, but mechanically in 

 very good condition, i.e-, loose and 

 friable, 



A field was .selected 150 feet by 156, con- 

 taining 160 trees planted in quincunx 

 15 x 13 feet, and occupying the lower 

 part of a gdntle slope, 



Before the application of the manures, 

 the trees were well weeded for 3 feet 

 all round the foot of the trees, and each 

 was given a light hoeing. All the tiees 

 received exactly the same treatment 

 with regard to cultivation. 



