390 
C. GORDON HEWITT. 
numerous in and around the sinks. Eggs of Musca domes- 
tica were seen in large clusters on the feces, and in some 
instances the patches were two inches wide and half an inch 
in depth, resembling little patches of lime. Some of the sinks 
were in a very dirty condition and had a very disagreeable 
odour.” 
A few examples of the prevalence of conditions favouring the 
dissemination of enteric by flies in permanent camps may be 
noted. Cockerill (1905), in describing camp conditions in 
Bermuda, mentions kitchens within one hundred yai’ds of the 
latrines ; the shallow privy, seldom or never cleaned out, and 
middens are found which contain masses of filth swarming with 
flies. He states that in more recent years the period of greatest 
incidence is in the summer, being chiefly due to flies and con- 
taminated dust. Quill (1900), reporting on an outbi’eak of 
enteric in the Boer camp in Ceylon, states : “ During the 
whole period that enteric fever was rife in the Boer camp 
flies in that camp amounted to almost a plague, the military 
camp being’ similarly infested, though to a less extent. The 
outbreak in the Boer camp preceded that among’ the troops ; 
the two camps were adjacent, and the migi’ation of the flies 
from the one to the other easy.’^ Weir, reporting on an out- 
break of enteric fever in the barracks at Umbala, India, ^ says 
that most of the pans in the latrines were half or quite full, 
and flies were very numerous in them and on the seats, which 
latter were soiled by the excreta conveyed by the flies^ l^gs. 
The men stated that the plague of flies was so great that 
in the morning they could hardly go to the latrines. He 
found that the flies were carried from the latrines to the 
barrack-rooms on the clothes of the men. This state of affairs 
suggests another mode of infection, namely, per rectum. 
As Smith has pointed out (l.c.) it is not improbable that 
flies under these conditions may be inoculators of dysentery. 
Aldridge (1907) gives some interesting statistics showing 
the influence of tlie presence of breeding-places of flies. Flies 
are found in greater numbers in mounted regiments than in 
‘ ‘ Army Medical Department Repoi’t.’ 1902, p. 207. 
