Middletown transcript., 1909-11-20
SANITATION

. q -
DR.. u. w. Lewis gave the followin
ineresting talk on Sanitation befor
the Wtman's Home Institute On Wsdne,
}, day, N .ven,ber 81.
The sui ct n sanitation IL so extensiv
anh ui 81 much inlportancs to Us as in
dividusls s'.'l a. community that l 6nt
il d'lfi:u | q make ms remarks connected
] in the lea ,ulinutes allotted to me.
shall make no pretense OF covering tbl
field. but win talk briefly on few prac
teal matters.
Fret, wish 10 call your attention to &
few prevalent diseases which to great
extent are preventable by proper santa
tion. can only refer to these conditions,
hoping TO arouse your interest sufficiently
to make YOU Inform yourselves more
thoroughly concerning them; then | know
| You will take the necessary action to avoid
the awful suffering consequent upon their
development. This educational campaign
| regarding sanitation is on in earnest and
l am glad to see this institute realizes its
great Importance. The mortality from
tuberculosis is being reduced annually
because our people are becoming better
informed as to the cause and means of
inspt ction. The life saving feature of
sanitation appeals to all human beings in
such a manner that it is impossible to
cast it aside when once you have realized
its enormity. The physician saves lives
one at time and you think his calling
noble, but the sanitary expert saves lives
by thousands Is il not far better to pre-.
vent the pollution OF our food, houses,
and streets by tuberculosis than to spend
millions on treatment and then see our
loved ones die by thousands? Is it not
infinitely wiser to prevent the pollution
by sewage of a stream supplying city,
than to fight that pollution in the bodies
of innocent victims of filth, or even to
attempt to purify the millions of gallons
OF filth-laden water every day2 Far
cheaper is it to spend millions of dollars
and rid our country of the mosquitoes
carrying yellow fever and malaria, than
to wait for the appalling toll required
from an edidemic Of yellow fever besides
the monetary loss from crippling Of BUSH
ness by quarantine, while malaria takes
its yearly tribute OF thousands of lives in
our own country and destroys earning
power to the extent of many millions of
dollars
The house-hy is already recognized as
a common carrier of disease and in short
time the same destructive war will be
waged against the fly as is now against
the mosquito. Typhoid fever is q pre-
rentable disease and it is said by high
authority that if all typhoid cases we're
taken care of properly for thirty years,
We would have none. Protection of water
supply is the great means of preventing
typhoid. BY sewerage and filtration the
mortality. from this disease in various
cities has been reduced from go to 9S per
cent. Food and drink are the means by
which many and serious diseases enter
the human system. 1t is overwhelming
to think of the daily loss of lives because
of careleseness or unclesnliness in prepa.
ration and consumption of food and drink.
AS this is to great extent under our
supervision, it behooVes US to busy our.
selves in controlling these matters. We
should see to the habits of cleanliness az
we'll as to the physical condition of our
servsnts, especially to the cook and child's
nurse. see so many people in danger
from these two sources that often shud-
der at the possible consequences. About
the first of October last year there oc-
Cured a localized outbreak Of typhoid
fever at one of the boarding houses for
students at University of Wisconsin. In
less than one month forty.one cases de-
veloped. The source of infection was
traced positively to kitchen assistant
WtlO CdTeQ IOT tIe Nlst0Ss LIS uhSicohil-
ness cost several lives.
Sanitation in the home will be on
much higher plane with the substitution
of the vacuum cleaner for the broom, and
one very effective means of spreading dis
ease will be removed from Us. The COM
mon dust in our homes is such an ex-
cellent breeding ground for disease that
we heartily welcome the time when the
broom will become obsolete. BY means
of the vacuum cleaner the germ-lalen dust
is collected and can easily be destroyed,
which is infinitely better than to scatter |
the dust in all direction, sooner or later !
to settle on shelves, curtains, carpets. etc. |
know oil no better unintentional way to |
infect a person with disease producing |
germs than by the ordinary use of the |
broom in our homes. especially is this SO,
If in the home is confined a sufferer with |
The management and care Of children
should occupy little Of our time. The
rules of hygiene personal and otherwise
taught the child in his early years have a
asting impression, grow up with the
,hild, and form part of the man. When
he child enters school the amount of