The General Problem of Keeping Well : Part 2

Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools
by Francis M. Walters

(Page 24 of 30)

1. By Means of Foods. - Foods, on account of the locality in which they are produced or the method of gathering or of handling-them, may become contaminated with germs, which are then transported with the foods to the consumer.

2. By Means of Dust. - Material containing germs, e.g., discharges from the throat and lungs, will on drying form dust. This is lifted with other fine particles by the air and may be carried quite a distance. The dust from public halls and other places where people congregate is the kind most likely to contain disease germs. Dust should be breathed as little as possible and only through the nostrils. Where one is compelled, as in sweeping, to breathe dust-laden air for some time, he should inhale through a moistened sponge, or cloth, tied in front of the nostrils.

3. By Means of Domestic Pets and Different Kinds of Household Vermin. - Germs sticking to the bodies of small animals are carried about and may be easily communicated to people. By this means, rats, mice, bedbugs, etc., where such exist, are frequently the means of spreading disease; and Particularly dangerous, on this account, is the common house fly. Feeding as it does on filth of all kinds, it is easy for it to transfer the bacteria that may stick to its body to the food which is supplied to the table. The proper screening of houses and the destruction of material in which flies may develop, such as the refuse from stables, are necessary precautions.

Germs are spread also by the clothing of people, by railroad and steamship lines, by the mails, and by the natural elements. In fact, any kind of carrier, in or upon which germs can live, may serve as a means of spreading those of certain kinds.

Public Sanitation. - The general conditions under which germs may thrive and some of the means by which they are scattered, emphasize the practical value of measures which have for their purpose the making of one's surroundings more wholesome and hygienic. Such measures may be directed both toward one's immediate surroundings - the home - and toward the neighborhood, town, or city in which one lives. The hygienic conditions of primary importance in every city or town are as follows:

1. An adequate public supply of pure water.

2. An efficient system of underground pipes for the removal of sewage.

3. An efficient system for removing from the streets and alleys everything of the nature of waste.

4. Prevention, by enforcement of ordinances, of spitting upon sidewalks and the floors of public halls and conveyances.

5. A hospital or sanitarium in which people can be cared for when sick with infectious diseases.

In the larger cities other hygienic measures demand attention, such as provisions for parks and playgrounds, the proper housing of the poor of the city, and the suppression of the smoke and dust nuisances. Crowded together as people are in the cities, the welfare of each individual depends in a large measure upon the welfare of all. Hence the problems of public sanitation are matters in which all are vitally concerned.

Sanitary Conditions of the Home. - The home, being the feeding and resting place for the entire family, is the most important factor in one's physical, as well as moral, environment. For this reason there is no place where careful attention to hygienic requirements will yield better results. Much of the danger from germs may be prevented by instituting and maintaining proper sanitary conditions in and about the home.

One of the first requisites of the home is a suitable location for the house. The house should be built upon ground that is well drained, and if natural drainage be lacking, artificial drainage must be supplied. It should not be situated nearer than a quarter of a mile to any marsh or swamp and, if so near as that, it should to be on the side from which the wind usually blows. A stone foundation should be provided, and at least eighteen inches of ventilated air space should be left between the ground and the floor. Ample provisions must be made for pure air and sunlight in all the rooms. The cellar, if one is desired, needs to be constructed with special care. It should be perfectly dry and provided with windows for light and ventilation. Adequate means must also be provided, by sewage pipes and other methods, for the disposal of all waste. Where drainage pipes are provided, care must be taken to prevent the entrance of sewer gas into the house and also the passage of material from these pipes into the water supply. The placing and connecting of sewer pipes should, of course, be under the direction of a plumber.

The Water Supply. - Since water readily takes up and holds the impurities with which it comes in contact, it should be exposed as little as possible in the process of collecting. Where cistern water is used, care must be taken to prevent filth from the roof, water pipes, or soil from getting into the reservoir. Water should be collected from the roof only after it has rained long enough for the roof and pipes to have been thoroughly cleaned. The cistern should have no leaks, and the top should be tightly closed to prevent the entrance of small animals and rubbish.

Shallow wells are to be condemned, as a rule, because of the likelihood of surface drainage, and water from springs should, for the same reason, be used with caution. Deep wells that are kept clean usually may be relied on to furnish water free from organic impurities, but such water often holds in solution so much of mineral impurities as to render it unfit for drinking. The presence in water of any considerable quantity of the compounds of iron or calcium makes it objectionable for regular use.

Hygienic Housekeeping. - However carefully a house has been constructed from a sanitary standpoint, the constant care of an intelligent housekeeper is required to keep it a healthful place in which to live. Daily cleaning and airing of all living rooms are necessary, while such places as the kitchen, the cellar, and the closets need extra thoughtfulness and, at times, hard work. Moreover, the problem is not all indoors. The immediate premises must be kept clean and all decaying vegetable and animal matter should be removed. Home sanitation consists, not of one, but of many, problems, all more or less complex. None of these can be slighted or turned over to a novice.

D.C. Heath and Co. - Publishers
Original copyright 1909