Abstract

It is well known that the common house- fly is one of the worst pests of our dwellings and that, during certain seasons in the year, this creature becomes a terrible nuisance. Though for all appearance this dark grey flying insect looks an innocent and harmless creature and is unable to cause pain like the mosquito its potentialities for mischief are formidable; for, it is not only a mechanical nuisance flying about the nooks and corners of our dwel- lings, visiting both filthy and wholesome materials and contaminating the latter, but it has also gained great notoriety as a terrible disease carrying agent. Infectious and dangerous diseases like Cholera, Tuberculosis. Typhoid and Dysentery are easily carried by the fly from those suffering from these diseases to healthy persons. The general features of the body of the fly are specially suitable for per- forming its functions very effectively; for it has its legs, body, wings and the mouth parts well supplied with hairs and bristles which serve as excellent media for carrying infective particles. Infection is mainly caused by the direct contact of the different parts of the body which carry germs of disease with wholesome food, drinks, etc., when the fly perches on the latter; the fly has also the habit of depositing its excretory particles, foeces 'specks' which may contain highly infectious germs in great numbers. In its habits, therefore, this fly is disgusting- ly filthy, feeding indiscriminately on excrement of all kinds such as vomit, sputum, nasal and eye discharges, pus and blood from boils and wounds; in the same manner, it is equally attracted by all the best and tasteful of human food stuffs and will, when not disturbed, pass to and back between the two extremes. It is, therefore, incumbent on every householder and citizen and on every person responsible for the general sanitation and health of our villages and inhabitants that sufficient attention is paid to this terrible pest.

Keywords: