The Filthy Flies
If you could look at the bottom of a fly’s foot under the microscope, you would see thousands of the most disgusting germs, particularly of the dreaded typhoid fever.
Please remember that it is far more important to prevent disease than to cure—so do all that you can to keep flies out of the house, out of food, off the baby’s bottle and body. Just looking at this picture shows you a little of what must go into baby’s mouth after the fly has stolen a bit of baby’s breakfast. How many of you promise to do everything you can to reduce the number of flies in this beautiful country of ours—by destroying them and by removing their breeding places, which are in manure piles?”
Every boy’s hand shot up.
“Thank you,” smiled the assistant nurse. “I can see that the boys of this class are to be real soldiers of health for this entire community.”
Keep Flies Out of Food. Off the Baby’s Bottle
“Please, Miss Helpem,” said Ibee Brave, “there are two more animals I would like to learn something about. One is the mosquito, and the other is fleas.”
The boys laughed.
“Not animals, Ibee; insects,” corrected Miss Helpem. “We will not have time to speak at length of the mosquito, for that would make a whole lesson in itself, but I do want to say that mosquitoes are the cause of some of our worst diseases, for they carry disease germs from one person’s blood into another’s. To destroy them, kerosene oil should be sprayed or sprinkled or poured on the surface of any stagnant water; for mosquito babies (wigglers) live in stagnant (standing) water. Please remember this: one old tin tomato can half full of water will be an ample amount to supply a whole neighborhood with young mosquitoes in a short time, so overturn any old tins you see, just to help in a good cause.”
“Now, Ibee,” she continued, after a slight pause, “I will tell you