386 
C. fiOEDON HEWITT. 
“ (a) Flies swarmed over infected faecal matter in the pits and 
then visited and fed upon the food prepared for the soldiers 
in the mess-tents. In some instances where lime had recently 
been sprinkled over the contents of the pits, flies with their 
feet whitened with lime wei’e seen walking over the food. 
“ h) Officers whose mess-tents were protected by screens 
suffered proportionately less from typhoid fever than did 
those whose tents were not so protected. 
“ (c) Typhoid fever gradually disappeared in the fall of 
1898 with the approach of cold weather and the consequent 
disabling of the fly. 
“ It is possible for the fly to carry the typhoid bacillus in 
two ways. In the first place faecal matter containing the 
typhoid germs may adhere to the fly and be mechanically 
transported. In the second place, it is possible that the 
typhoid bacillus ma.y be carried in the digestive organs of the 
fly and may be deposited with its excrement.” 
One of his conclusions was that infected water was not an 
important factor in the dissemination of typhoid in the 
national encampments of 1898, since only about one fifth of 
the soldiers in the national encampments during the summer 
of that year developed typhoid fever, whereas about 80 per 
cent, of the total deaths were due to this disease. In the 
latter connection Sternberg (1899) refers to a report of Dr. 
Reed upon an epidemic in the Cuban W ar, in which it was 
stated that the epidemic was clearly not due to water 
infection but was transferred from the infected stools of the 
patients to the food by means of flies, the conditions being 
especially favourable for this means of dissemination. Stern- 
berg, as Surgeon-General of the U.S. Army, issued the follow- 
ing instructions^ ; Sinks should be dug before a camp is 
occupied or as soon after as practicable. The surface of the 
faecal matter shonld be covered with fresh earth or quicklime 
or ashes three times a day.” I think that the instructions 
of that ancient leader of men, Moses, who probabl}^ had 
' ‘ Circular No. 1 of the Surgeon-General of the U.S. Army,’ Api-il, 
1898. 
