Dr. M. J. Rosenau, in his valuable book on “Disinfection and Disinfectants,” expresses his opinion with no uncertain sound on the fly question when he says: “In fact, as our knowledge of the subject increases we find that domestic animals and vermin are playing a very conspicuous role in the transmission of disease. So dangerous do we now know that the fly and mosquito may be, that when the matter is more generally understood, it should be a greater reproach to the housewife to have these dangerous vermin in the household than to have bedbugs.” Where dressings soiled with pus and excreta have constantly to be handled, as in a hospital, the presence of flies is a real source of danger that no careful housekeeper will ignore. To keep them out of the building, and manage so that no substance about the exterior may be left to attract them, means that a systematic inspection of the premises must be made, to see that fruit peelings or scraps of food are not thrown from the windows, that careful and prompt disposal of all refuse is accomplished, that scrupulous cleanliness in and about the institution is practiced, and that properly fitting screen windows and doors are in place early in the season, and left till cold weather has caused the fly to leave for parts unknown. [Sidenote: Garbage] The disposal of garbage and the waste accumulation from the wards forms one of the most serious problems that confronts the hospital housekeeper. There is but one safe method of disposal and that is by cremation, prompt and swift and sure. The too common method of storing garbage in large cans, and allowing it to vitiate the air with its obnoxious odors, and attract to itself flies an other vermin, till the city garbage collector gets around to remove it, is a practice that ought to be abandoned as speedily as possible by every institution. Much responsibility rests upon the superintendent in such matters. She alone cannot effect desired improvements, but she realizes the need as no member of the board can, and she ought to tactfully educate the board and urge the necessity of proper appliances for this purpose. Recently twenty letters were sent out to twenty various sized hospitals inquiring as to the methods used in disposing of soiled dressings and refuse from the wards. Answers were received from almost if not all, and there was a general agreement that cremation was the only proper method of disposal. However, in only three or four of the twenty had any provision been made in the plans of the hospital for this very important work. Some hospitals burnt them in the furnace, some in the laundry stove in the basement, some covered them up and carried them to the laundry stove in an outbuilding, some had them carted away to the city dumping ground. From one Chicago hospital of whom inquiry was made we had the following report: We have a water heater and garbage burner which runs day and night, and into this burner we put all of our soiled