Junior Detective Series - 5a

Flies buzzed through the warm summer air landing on food, cups, plates, and anything else left on the table. To some the flies were an annoyance. To Dr. Samuel Crumbine they meant disease.

As director of the Kansas State Board of Health, Crumbine knew that teaching people about germs was as important as treating them. The widespread use of fly swatters began when Crumbine announced that the housefly carried many diseases. Chidren across Kansas helped Crumbine fight the fly. They collected cash bounties or movie tickets for turning in containers of dead flies. Dr. Samuel Crumbine's appointment to the State Board of Health eventually made Kansas a leader in providing healthier living conditions for its citizens.