Evening star., 1905-10-23
BON Marc11e, 314=32O Seventh Street.
THE HYGIENE OF THE HOUSE.
Sunlight and Fresh Air as Necessities
Of Healthy Home.

From the New York Herald.
The late Dr. s. Oakley yanderpoel. who
was most efficient health officer. in an
swer to a question regarding the best dis
ir fectants for an infected ship. replied that
he was always satisfied when he could al
low the fresh winds Of the bay to sweep the
cabins and the sunshine to paralyze and
kill the noxious agents. This was before
the days of germs and before bacteriologv
had proved that these are even now the
main means of overcoming unsanitary con-
ditions from any cause.
The same doctrine applies as much to our
homes as to our ships The thousands who
are at this time putting their houses in
order have abundant opportunities of prov
ing the practical value of this very simple
method of disease prevention.
Clean and well ventilated apartments are
always safe habitations in all weathers. In
all seasons, and are the main factors In re-
ducfng sickness and mortality in any COM
mun;ty.
The great consideration is not only to
make them so but to keep them SO. 1t is a
slant care Of little things. The sanitary ar
rangements of the modern domicile are
growing more and more complicated In
most well regulated and well appointed
houses the number of servants far exceeds
that of the family. It requirs no small ex
ecutiye ability on the part of the housewife
in any station to have all the necessary
work run smoothly.
Unfortunately the things most neglected
are often those of greatest sanitary impor-
tance. The cellars and drains, for instance,
are striking examples in point. What
should be the cleanest part of the house Is
often the receptacle of every kind OF rub
bish that can be hidden and packed in the
darker corners. The cellar being out of
sight Is usually out of mind
The hot air furnace that Is to supply the
heat for the coming winter may still hold
the cinders OF the last fire. Its fues may be
choked with the accumulated SCOT of
months and the registers filled with the dust
from the sweepings of spring and summer
How much these conditions may have to
do with the stuffy character of the heat
supplied to the family during the long win
ter months to come needs hardly to be
mentioned.
The dust problem is one that must appeal
to all. particularly to such must live in
closely packed rooms for months at a time.
We are told how these suspended particles
of dirt carry the germs of tuberculosis, OF
cerebro-spinal fever. of pneumonia and
other infections diseases. and yet the
thoughtless housekeeper Is apparently un-
conscious of their multiple and threatening
dangers.
Cleanliness and ventilation instead of be-
ing considered guarantees of safety against
disease are almost entirely ignored, and
windows very often kept closed during
the entire winter for fear of wasting heat.
The exact contrary should be the case, as
lnS most DencHciai warmth Is ODtaincu Dy
the daily airing of all rooms and the sys-
tematic heating of the changed atmosphere.
The neglect of such precautions explains
why apartments are generally overheated
and winter colds are so frequent.
1t is not generally appreciated as fact
that the dryer the air the more heat is re-,
quired to make the atmosphere sensibly
warmer to the body. Healthy air must
have It's normal ratio OF humidity. and
yapor added to a dried and vitiated atmos-
phere always makes the latter more COM
Portable. even though It marks corre-
spondingiy lower temperature on tes her
momter. But to make the proper balance
between indoor and outdoor air we must
admit enough OF the latter to make super
heated atmosphere impossible night or day.
1t may be surprising to many to learn
during even the colder months how much
such custom will conduce to the health
and welfare of the family. At all events,
II Is worth while to start well and do the
cleaning In the proper and rational way
while we are about 1t.
Last winter there was an alarming epi-
dcmic OF spotted fever. due, II - claimed.
to unhyxienie homaA Are ~ TO repeat
these sad experiences By any neglect ak