SWAT THAT FLY!

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

SWAT THAT FLY!

THE time is not far distant when, with the advent of warmer temperatures, the housefly will be with us again.

Is it not a remarkable fact that human nature is so constituted that the habit of tolerating these insect pests is universal? With a shrug of the shoulders we sweep away the nuisance and, with perhaps a short laugh, remark: "Oh, well, all these little things are sent to try us." Manfully, we shoulder our imaginary cross and carry on. Xever was such toleration of a nuisance more fateful to the human race, or fraught with such far-reaching consequences. The housefly is born in filth, reared in filth, liberated in filth. Carrying on its sticky feet and long hairs disease-producing germs, it is a firstclass distributor of bacteria, causing such disease as typhoid, tuberculosis, anthrax and diphtheria; indeed, it is seriously suspected of spreading many more diseases.

To be quite fair to the fly, however, we must at once acquit it of any biting propensities. The creature has no organ capable of piercing the skin. In this the insect is quite unlike the mosquito, whose armament of piercing lancets and sucking organs is instrumental in conveying the organisms responsible for yellow fever and malaria. The part played by liouseflies in transmission of disease is purely mccliaiiic.il.

They wallow and feed in filth of all descriptions, and when their [iroboscides and legs are covered with germs which are growing and living in such tilth, they fly to our food and contaminate it. This contaminated food we long-sufferinp: mortals eat; thus disease can be spread from one person to another, in a neverending cycle. Infant Diseases Statistics inform us that London in 1010 had 1811 children of under two dead from enteritis ("infantile diarrhoea"). In Bombay during 1910. 2263 died. Paris had 1152 deaths, New York 0G49, Chicago 3384, and Rio de Janeiro 2002. As a final example, we read that '"during the hot weather at Cairo in 1!)09 enteritis killed 3000 children in less than two months."

At the Lister Institute. London. Dr. Morgan conducted innumerable researches with regard to this disease, and in the bodies of liouseflies where the t-hildren were ill with infantile diarrhoea perms of the frightful scourge were found.

You Will— If You Read This Article By D. McCready Armstrong

N'o constructive progress, however, seems to have come of these researches, for we read that in the following year infantile enteritis broke out again nearly all over England. Flies were everywhere. thriving in the decaying matter which the hot weather made plentiful.

Apparently 110 one was courageous enough to institute a campaign for stamping out this pest. In America, however, Dr. Howard is considerably outspoken 011 the fly question: "As for the typhoid fly (housefly), that a creature born in indescribable filth and absolutely swarming with disease germs, should practically be invited to multiply unchecked, even in the great centres of population, is surely nothing less than criminal."

It will be recalled that last summer houseflies were abundant in New Zealand. Are we entitled to think that the prevalence of sicknesses (luring the autumn and winter has any significance? Generally it is a significant fact that if flies are plentiful during the summer the succeeding autumn and winter will be unhealthy.

A healthy fly will carry about as many as 28.000.000 germs in its intestines and 5,000.000 on its body. It seenis almost incredible, doesn't it ? The computation has not been arrived at by mere guesswork, but by painstaking microscopic experiment. The thoiglit of a fly laden with germs of typhoid or tuberculosis frantically endeavour ing to commit suicide in our milk jug, is, to say the least, not a pleasant thought.

Only Liquid Food Let us examine this notorious insect with the aid of a dissecting microscope. We find that our fly has no mouth as we understand it, but a large heartshaped tongue, composed of many tubes. Obviously, then, the creature can only take liquid food. Solids are liquified by the fly when it pours upon the morsel of food a qua'ntity of its own saliva-, more often than not germ-laden. This solution is now ready to be pumped up the tubes that compose the tongue into a reservoir situated at the base of the so-called mouth, or proboscis. Should the supply of food be plentiful, the fly will sometimes vomit the contents of his reservoir on to such convenient places as window sashes, electric light dropperes or wallpapers. This tinv drop of concentrated debris hardens into a lijrht yellow ball, and is, in the majority of cases, teeming with bacteria. Our fly will consider this morsel "treasure trove," if bad times fall upon him, or if our diligent housewife has been more careful than usual to cn- er up her food, or has seen to it that .lie refuse from the kitchen h.is been destroyed by incineration. Turning once again to the microscope, we discover that each of the legs of our fly terminates in two claws and two sticky pads, enabling the insect to walk in any position—upside down, for instance.

Where Do They Go? The question of where flies go In the winter has become almost traditional. The answer, however, is not so difficult as expected. A majority of the insects die during cold weather, but a certain number live, concealed in some warm place—behind a picture, perhaps, or in the fold of a curtain or hang-

The advent of warmer temperatures will inevitably be the signal for them to come out from their hidinjr places and start the serious business of mating and progeneration. When we recall the remarkable fact that each single fly, tinder favourable conditions, may in six months' time propagate no less than 5 .598,720.000 descendants, we realise why the number of flies increases so rapidly in such a short space of time. Since the publication of my book. "Man and the Housefly," I have received many letters of appreciation from all parts of the Dominion. Receipt of them is "very comfortable." as Tony Weller used to t.ay. May I ask these good friends to go one step further and join with me in this crusade against the disease-producing activities of the housefly? Xow is"the time to begin.