Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-17
DRY SWEEPING AND BUSTING

Dust is filth in it's most dangerous
form.
Dust pollutes the air we breathe, the
food we eat, the liquids we drink, the
houses in which we live and the cloth
ing that covers our bodies.
Dust enters our bodies through the
mouth, nose, eyes and the pores of
our skin.
Dust from streets, dwellings, fac
tories. schools, theatCrs and other pub
lie buildings has been carefully col
lected and studied. 1t is found to
contain:
Bits of sand and soil.
Speeks of SCOT and minute cinders,
ashes, coal, lime.
Particles from the wear and tear OF
brick, plaster, cement and asphalt.
Bits of wood and other plant fibers
Pollen and fragments of the seeds
of plants.
Fine hairs and scales from the
bodies of animals.
Lint and other fibers from clothing,
carpets, etc.
Dried and pulverized excrements of
horses and other domestic animals.
birds, dried remains of flies and other
insects and even of human beings.
Waste material in endless variety
from all sorts of industries.
Disease germs-Dacteria and moulds
derived from the excretions OF man
and animals. particularly the germs
of tuberculosis which are coughed up
by the victim of consumption and de-
posted as spittle where they can be
rapidly dried and conveyed to healthy
persons by currents of air.
If it is disgusting to read OF these
things. how much worse to take into
our lungs the air, and into our stom-
achs the food that has been contain
mated by the admixture of dust.
10 hn oot n
the diseases that affect the lungs and
the digestive organs.
Dust is one of the most dreaded
agencies in the spread of tuberculosis
Much of the dust that floats in the
air of our houses is brought in as mud
on the shoes and the clothing, espe,
ciaIly on the skirts of women. MUD
is contaminated by the droppings OF
horses and other animals having ac-
cess to the streets, and by the expec-
toration of thoughtless and filthy peo-
pie. Frequently this mud is left to
dry upon the clothing in wardrobes
and closets. Then the clothes brush
or the whisk broom serves to distrib-
ute this dried mud through the air of
the house until such time as the house
keeper chooses to raise the dust again
by the process of dry sweeping. once
in the air, the dust Is deposited Dy
slowly settling on all surfaces, espe-
clallY OH COIulCOSf hOdNS
loose draperies and other dust traps
with which our houses are too fire.
uuently filled. From these resting
places 1t is likely to be driven into the
circulating air again and again by
the use of dry dust cloth or feather
duster.
The United States war department
has banished the feather duster from
all it's offices and buildings because
it Is believed to favor the dissemina-
tion of tuberculosis. 1t has been said
that no city can claim to be quite
civilized If it continues to spend the
peoples money to buy feather busters
for it's public buildings.
The dust that you and your neigh
bor sweep from the doorstep, and the
clouds that rise from the beating of
carpets in your own or your neigh
boris yard, is soon returned to you or
to your neighbor by the wind.
If you wish to get rid of dust you
must not stir 1t up, for as soon as 1t
gets into the air it is beyond your con-
troll. Before sweeping, II sweeping Is
necessary, 1t is well to scatter on the
floor some moist material, such as
wet sawdust or bits OF moistened pa
per. While sweeping the windows and
outside doors should be opened as
widely as possible, and the doors COM
municating with other parts of the
house should be closed. Dusting should
always be done with molstened cloth,
which should be washed before it has
a chance to dry.
Where the floors are bare 1t Is un-
F1VrytC