Guard Against Flies and Mosquitoes by A. C. Ames

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 8, 1913

Guard Against Flies and Mosquitoes

By A. C. Ames

A. C. AMES, M. D.

The time of year has arrived when plans should be put into execution to prevent the propagation of the flies and mosquitoes that will soon be here by millions if nothing is done to keep them off.

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water in the form known as wigglers, in rain barrels, cow and horse tracks, tin cans, and wherever water is allowed to stand in hot weather. All such stagnant ponds, puddles, etc., should be kept drained whenever possible. Whenever this is not possible, they should be covered with coal-oil or crude oil at least every ten days or two weeks. It will take but a very small quantity of coal-oil to cover a small pond with a film of oil sufficient to kill every wiggler in it. A tablespoonful is sufficient for a rain barrel, and this will not hurt the water for laundry purposes.

Flies breed in manure piles, water-closets, and other accumulations of moist decaying filth; therefore all such matter should be cleaned up before hot weather comes, and be kept cleaned up. Every fly that can be killed early in the season will save thousands later on; therefore set traps and catch as many as possible. Don’t be content merely to drive them out of doors, and leave them to breed thousands to trouble you later in the season.

Flies and mosquitoes used to be considered only a harmless nuisance, and even if that were true, it would be worth the effort to get rid of them; but that is not all. It has now been definitely proved that mosquitoes are the only cause of malaria, and that if you can avoid being bitten by them you can live in the most unhealthful climate and never have an ague chill. It has also been as positively proved that flies are one of the most prolific causes of typhoid fever, cholera infantum, and several other diseases. They spread disease chiefly by carrying germs from places of filth and depositing them on human food.

For this reason all food should be kept securely screened from flies, and all water-closets should be screened to keep out flies, or made so dark that flies will not trouble them, in addition to being frequently cleaned. In the country a very good way is to have a deep pit, closed up all around tight enough to keep out both light and flies, and then have covers on the seats. Also the custom of leaving excreta lying out on the open surface of the ground is very dangerous and the cause of many cases of disease. All such matter should be covered at once. This was recognized and so ordered by Moses over three thousand years ago. See Deut. 23:13.

If these precautions could be universally followed strictly, many diseases would almost or entirely disappear, and by a reasonable amount of precaution they can be materially decreased, and every one should do his part as far as possible to accomplish such a result. The spring of the year is the time to attend to it in particular, before the mischief is already done.

Mountain Grove, Mo.