A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOR: THE HOUSE FLY.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 86, 11 April 1916, Page 3

A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOR: THE HOUSE FLY.

The following is the conclusion of the report of Dr. Cliamptaloup's lecture, the first part of which was given last week: —

FLIES AS CARRIERS OF

MICRO BBS

Dr. Chaniptaloup gave several remarkable proofs of the transmission of bacteria by flies, and said that Dr. Nash, in his annual report for 1909, summarised the position as follows: — " With legs, l.odios, and intestines laden • with putrefactive germs, these flics in the fly season swarm fill over all exposed food, drown themselves in every uncovered jug or cup of milk, range over every tin of condensed milk or piece of sugar

on which they can alight, each fly contributing its quota of generally unknown and often unmentionable filth, including its own intestinal evacuations, polluting human food to such an extent as in.a short time to convert, for instance, milk from a wholesome food to a virulently dangerous poison. Ho next showed two slides illustrating plainly what happened when a house: fly with dirty ieet walked over foodstuff on which bacteria could grow. The first showed a Petriplate, filled with nutrient gelatine upon which a house fly just from a dish of dirty water was allowed to wander for a moment. The plate was covered and sot in a warm place for three days. Wherever the fly's feet touched the gelatine, and whore the body dragged , the bacteria grew. The tracks of the Avandering fly were marked in colonies of living bacteria, many thousands in each. The other slide showed a somewhat similar condition, though accidentally produced. Dr. Chnmptaloup proceeded to discuss soj!ie disease bacteria which flies carry and tiie diseases they give rise to. Among these were tuberculosis and various- parasitic diseases.

MASS ACHE OF THE INNOCENTS

Ono authority stated that in the United States of America there died j annually 49,000 babies under two yoais of age as a result of' intestinal affections due to nies. In many of the large- towns of Great Britain the infantile mortality per annum was from 100 to 150 or more per 1000 babies bom, and infantile diarrhoea, played a, j large part in this enormous waste of, child life. On comparing the figures for New Zealand during the last 10 years we find that the average proportion of deaths of infants under one year of age to every 10CO births was 71..9, while England and Wales was 10D, a.marked difference in our favor, and an indication of the better sanitary conditions under which we live. Of the total deaths under one year of age in xNew Zealand during the years 1906-1910, 19.8, or nearly 20 per cent., wore due to diarrhoea, these figures by no means indicating the actual number of persons attacked. Dr. Newsholme, medical officer to the Local Government Board, said that opened cans of condensed milk were often seen black with, flies, attracted by the sugar in the milk, and he attributed to them a considerable share in Lhe causation of diarrhoea in children. Typhoid fever was a disease upon which much investigation had been made in its relation to flies, -and that insect had been found guilty up to the hilt. The excessive death rate in the camps of the American soldiers • during the Spanish-American war did more than anything else to call attention to the importance of the 'fly as a distributor of the germs of typhoid. Fortunately, we now had a means of prophylactic injection against typhoid which had already very considerably reduced both the attack and death rate among our soldiers in India. It would be unwise, however, to state that the fly was the chief source of the spread of typhoid, cholera, and dysentery and diarrhoea, \mtil we had facts definitely proving it. The fly was certainly a factor, but proof had yet to be brought that it was the chief factor

NOTE' BY < 'HYCEIA.''

What Dr. Cham'ptaloup eloarly conveys is that we have everey reason to regard the house fly as a leading factor in carrying the germs of various diseases, and particularly in depositing them in our milk jugs. II was tho great surgeon Sir Joseph Lister who said long ago that:1 he' knew of only one speciec of microbe that would not nourish and multiply with extreme ia-pidity in milk. He pointed out that milk might be regarded as an ideal culture medium and breedingground Cor all kinds of germs. In view of this and the fact that the fly, from its habits and the filth in which it-revels, is such a universal conveyer ■of all sorts and conditions of ■.microbes one can see how extremely important it if to keep down the pest, and to .specially guard against the possibility of its entering the milk-jug. : Dr. Champtaloiip certainly brought home to nil or us who had the privilege of .attending his lecture that the familiar spectacle of a ■ fly or t»vo struggling in the milk is a very much more serious matter than the presence of a considerable quantity of ordinary dirt which most people would regard as very much more.'. disgusting and objectionable. "Clean dirt" may contain more or less germs; ;but the house fly, however clean he miiy look, should always be regarded as having come in all probability direct from unmentionable filth, the living germs of which he carries on his person. Viewing the drowning fly in this light, many of us - said at the conclusion of.the lecture that we should never again bo able to regard milk as safe and unpolluted after merely removing ohc flies. We know better now, and we know that, especially in the case of babies, such milk would not be entirely safe to use even after scalding ;t, seeing that the spores of minute organisms may survive" the boiling-point.

.Winie giving due attention to warding off the germs of disease, we must never lose sight of the fact that this is not tho first line of defence. The first line of defence against every form of disease and every species of microbe is the maintenance of a high standard of health and iitness, so that if dangerous germs do gain access to- the system tho colls of the body will be in such good iigliting form that they will either prevent the microbes from making an effective landing, or will defeat them after they have become estuhlished.

Good air, goorl food, proper exercise, and regular, healthy habits form the first line of defence. This was clearly interred in Dr. Oharnptaloup';; lecture.

DESTRUCTION OF FLIES

The last section of the address briefly dealt with some of tho means for the destruction of tho house fly and itvS haunts. In the essential matter of cleanliness compulsory legislation and inspection could play only a, part in prevention. Other factr, must he tlio education of the public in mnt-^ tors of general sanitary knowledge, and in the importance of breast-fend-ing and ■■proper care of food, to which their Soeietv was paying so mucli attention v.-itK such excellent results. In educative measures particular attention should be directed to the school child in inculcating knowledge of mattwis bearing on household cleanliness. (Applause). Attention should bo given to frequent removal of all accumulations of dirt, dust, or manure. All refuse should be stored pnnding removal in properly constructed covered cans All foodstuffs, particularly milk, should be protected from contamination by fine gauze or other substance. It would be a- good day for Dunedin when we could afford the installation of an up-to-date destructor instead of depositing our refuse in heaps in the vicinity'of the town. In conclusion, the lecturer explained several eftWtive fly-trap* mid flv-nois-ms. He sat down Yunid hearty "iiid pr:;]<r:^:-;! npplausc.