Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-07

Household Sanitation.
HOME SURROUNDINGS, DISPOSAL OF
GARBAGE, oUTBUILDINGs.
Farm children have certainly the best
chance to be healthy, with Gods gifts oi
fresh air and sunshine lavished 80 prod.
igally. But these are sometimes nulli-
fled to some extent, and the little ones
ON the farm could be saved from many
illnesses that these gifts of nature help
to render less lastingly hurtful. But
why not always work with nature, in
stead of against her? Does it not behoove
parents to think about these things, and
see II some anxiety to themselves and
suffering to the children could not be
prevented, and all rendered more COM
Portable by little more attention to
surroundings? Let it not be forgotten,
either, that the farm contributes quite a
large percentage of the victims of con-
sumption and typhoid.
The ground on which the house stands
should be well-drained. The cellar
should never be damp, nor water allow
ed to lie in il. No stagnant water should
be allowed to lie near the dwelling, such
as ponds, sloughs, etc. Hurtful gases
are continually rising from decaying
animal and vegetable matter. These not
only are hurtful in themselves, but the
healthful oxygen in the air in the region
of the water is used up in their making,
haf hn otr io vit iof foA in
ways. 1t loses its tonic properties, is
not so buoyant and exhilarating, and is
loaded with gases that are poisonous to
the system when inhaled. An open
drain from house or outbuilding is es-
pecially dangerous, because of the large
amount of decaying matter it is likely to
carry. Such drains should always be
closed in, at least until point is reach
ed where the air surrounding the home
will not be contaminated.
How about the disposal of garbage?
Householders should cover the barrels
or tanks for slops. When these are
emptied, quicklime or other effective
disinfectants should be scattered round
the barrels over the ground sprinkled by
the spilled slops, and generous amount
should be thrown into the barrel and on
the cover. This would improve present
conditions and make these barrels less
of a camping and feeding ground for
flies, il, indeed, they are not breeding
place for them.
When the ife-history of the house-fly
is as thoroughly investigated as that of
the mosquito has been, its connection
with many diseases as causative agent
will be demonstrated, not in the same
way by direct insertion Of the disease
germ into the body; but believe it is
even more active in the spread of disease,
because the mosquito has only one way
of injecting its victim, and only por-
ton of the mosquitoes find chance to
sting. But every fly that lights on the
table or crawls over the children is
menace.
No garbage should be thrown out that
can be burnt. The farm animals will
dispose OF potato peelings and other
vegetable refuse, also table refuse; but
where not so used, these should all be
burnt. The furnace or kitchen stove
should be amongst our most patronized
house cleaners.
Do not throw slops and garbage near
your kitchen door. At least do not have
il so that in the spring you will have a
semi-solid conglomerate. round your
door, through which you have to wade
every time you go in and out, and OF
which you must carry IN load on your
boots, to be deposited on your floor,
dried into dust and inhaled. This will
be slough of despOnd to your children,
of which the worst consequences may
not be wet feet or soiled clothes. So, If
you have no sink and drainage pipe,
carry all slops and refuse well TO the un-
frequented side of the yard. In the
spring, sprinkle with lime and dig the
ground up.
While shade trees are very desirable,
both for shade and ornament, they
should not be so close to the house or so
thickly planted as to exclude most OF the
sunshine or to interfere with the free
circulation of air. This shuts out the
purifying influences of sun and wind to
a large extent, and has tendency to
cause dampness.
The house should never be supplied
from the barn well. 1t is always danger
Gus. Even when the greatest care is tax
en-, the water runs great chances OF being
contaminated by animal excrement.
OutbuiIdiDgs on the farm should be
far enough away from the house to pre-
vent barnyard excrement from being
tramped into the house, to be dried and
inhaled, loaded on to the clothing and
hands, and so rubbed in the children's
eyes, or swallowed with their food.
So fence in a good yard. Have nice
front lawn, with border of flowers and
gravelled walk to your front door. At
the rear or side have large yard. Use
plenty of gravel round the door for some
distance. If you have gravel walks lead
ing to pump and water closet, all the bet
ter. Your vegetable garden may also be
in the same enclosure with the house.
An acre fenced in and planted round
with trees and so divided-into front
lawn, flower garden, back yard and vege-
table gardeu-will give ideal home sur
roundings, will afford clean, shady
playground for the children, and place
where the grownups can rest brain and
body, or find pleasant change OF work
in garden or flower culture. 1t will pay
to make the home surroundings beauti-
full and attractive, as we'll as healthful.
Every farmer can have such home
with very little cash outlay. Just
little time and thought and personal
work, and the result will be qualification
to himself, an inspiration to others and
a lasting benefit and pleasure to all the
family.
A load or two of clean sand for the
children to play in, with shady plot OF
grass, will be great help towards keep
ing them BEAUTIFULLY employed. If the
sand can be dumped in great heap; of
shifting possibilities, under big tree in
a specially clean corner where the air is
pure, the questions Of clothes and amuse-
ment and exercise are solved for the
greater part of the day as far as the
younger children are concerned, anyway.
Mary e. Allen Davidson, M. D., in
The Farmers Advocate.
Every farmer interested In sheep hus-
bandry should testify his appreciation
g A. 4. ,.l,,oJ oarv;oac nf RanrpaAntativa