The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-21
DISEASE FROM DIRTY RErRIcEpArops,

Some people seem to have an i'm
preston that the presence of ice is in
itself somehow antiseptic, and they
accordingly do not take the trouble.
to see that their ce-boxes or refriger-
ators are kept clean. According to
DIR. Joanna White, writing in Good
Honsekeebfmg, this carelessness con-
stitutes distinct menace to health in
many families. Says DR.. White
"Several cases of diphtheria devel-
oped simultaneously in one family.
The source of their infection was OBJ
scure, no other cases having been re-
ported to the Board of Health for sew
eral weeks. The house was we'll built,
comparatively new, and in healthful
location. The nurse who was retaiH-
ed told me on my next visit that II
would be impossible for her to remain,
as she would be afraid to eat anything
kept or prepared In the house. TO
prove that she was not unreasonable,
she asked me to step to the refrigera-
tor. Upon opening it, considerable
foul odor escaped, but the condition
of the whole interior was simply ap-
palling. 1t was covered with half
inch coating of thick slime.
It seems incredible that any house
wife, barring the most grossly ignor-
ant or careless, could allow such a con-
dition to arise or exist. This is only
one case among many where ] believe
the specific poison of contagious and
infections diseases has been hafbesad
in unsanitary refrigerators. tits easier
to overlook neglect and carelessness In
the very poor though even here there
is no real excuse for il. Even the
upper class is not exempt from the
same sort of neglect. A busy society
or club woman, leaving the care of
home entirely to servants, need not
expect the busy maids to take all the
intelligent care which is so very essen
tial.
Generally speaking, it is in the
homes of the middle class, where only
one or possibly no maid is kept, that
the most favorable hygienic conditions
exist.
"There are so many so-called germ
diseases, where uncleanliness is the
cause of infection, that the fight for
hygienic conditions should never be
abated. The refrigerators alone IS
the source of much evil; therefore
even the busy housewife should pay
particular attention to its condition at
all times and to the food which goes
into it."
If the refrigerator is movable, says
DR.. White, do not place it in the dark
est corner, but in the light and air,
preferably out-of doors, on a piazza.
For the ordinary house, where there
is no special provision for drainage,
perhaps the safest way is to use the
old-fashioned pan, emptying andscald-
ing it twice a day. 1.-THE refrigerator
is built in and piped drain provid-
ed, thie pipe eho.ald .anf be- 4
with the waste or soil pipe or sewer,
or discharged upon the ground, but
should be connected with an open and
water-supplied sink. The conhec-
tions should be short and disconnected
from the refrigerator. All drainage
pipes should be flushed twice week,
with either a solution of chlorid of
lime, or washing soda, or strong am
monia. To quote further:
"The ice compartment and storage
part should be thoroughly cleaused
twice a week. Ali removable parts
should be taken out for greater ease
in cleansing. All Parts should be
washed in good soap and hot water,
with a clean cloth or brush, then thor
oughly scalded, after which it is well
to go over the lining with some chlorid
solution, a caustic cleaning solution, or
a strong solution of borax and water.
"Watch for the iceman and have
ready a good pitcherful of clean water
with which to rinse the ice. It will
take only moment, and your care In
cleansing will not be defeated.
"All food should be inspected and
prepared for storage. Keep the milk
supply in closely covered receptacles,
preferably glass. Butter should also
be covered, as these two foods are very
apt to absorb impurities. Most fruits
and vegetables can and should be
washed and wiped or drained before
storing in a refrigerator.