The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-05-28
HOUSEKEEPERS CAN PREVENT
AND BANISH TUBERCULOSIS
Fresh Air and Sunshine Make the Family Sleep Outdoors
Examples Of Open-ar Bedchambers

TN one OF tho publications of tho Ma
tional Society for the Prevention
and Relief OF Tuberculosis there is
i this significant statement: The
friends OF tuberculosis. or consump-
tion, are Dirt. Damp. Darkness and
Drink; the enemies OF consumption
arc Sunlight, Fresh Air. Good Food,
Rest
Now the thing that Is worth think
ing about in those eight words is the
fact that all but orc Of them, drink.
relate directly to houses and house
keeping a While ago everybody
thought that tuberculosis was heredi-
tary Now We know that it Is a
house disease, thriving because We
don't live enough in the open air and
sunshine. and because we have chosen
to live in cities so crowded that air
and sunshine have price set on them.
The worst Of it is, more and more poo
pie are going TO live In cities because
it Is a necessity for thom to do so,
and fortunately for us this does not
mean that moro and more arc
10 die of tuberculosis, Statistics show
that in New York, Philadelphia and
Boston the death rate has decreased
forty, fifty and even sixty per cent In
the last twenty years, while IN a
great many rural communities it Is
as high as ever, Doesn't this sound
like a contradiction?
II takes us back TO the house and
the housekeePer In great cities il
is the municipality and its important
delegate, the Board of Health, who
are really the houScsecpers. They
don't go into details but they do sly
that YOU must do thus ard so with
your waste and garbage. and there
must be q certain STANDARD for plumb
Ing, and certain rules about the least
amount OF light and air that will be
tolerated by a civilized community.
The municipality had 90 step In and
say this, and 1t ought 10 say a good
deal more than il does. because 1t
learned by bitter experience that pub
lie health was not a mcttor TO be
decided entirely by the house owner
and tenant The reason, then why
VIC still have q high death rate from
consumption In rural communities is
because there is no public house
keeper TO watch over drainage apd
water and the kinds Of plumbing we
should have. In the country evory
woman's house Is her castle and she
does as sho pleases. The windows are
nailed down In winter and the feather
beds arc drawn up, the drinking water
often comes from contaminated wells,
and cesspools are not emptled often
enough. You see living in cities has
good many advantages. you see also
that In the suburbs a great deal re-
mains to be done by the individual
housekeeper, and on her must fall
most OF the responsibility for house
disease like tuberculosis.
Water, light and air are natures
great disinfectants. II the house
keeper bears this in mind she need
not fear tuberculosis or many other
diseases that love dark and unsenitary
surroundings. First OF all remember
that while no one can 1.-Two without air,
anyone can get used 10 bad. stale
air, and living In 1t Will so lower the
vitality that We are likely TO catch
anything that is floating around.
Ventilate.
"A properly vetilated house is essen
tlal TO good health and proper ventila-
ton means windows open at bottom
and top, so that the air in all the halls
and rooms is stirred and changed at
least once day. There should always
be window open In the bedroom sum-
mer and winter Begin with a few
inches at time, II you arc not used
to 1t, but by all means have some pure
air In the room at night Night air
is purer than day air because there
Is less duet IN II, and during or after
a rain the air is purer because it has
been washed. We need sunshine in
our rooms, all We can set of II, and
especially In the rooms that are used
by old people. inyalids and children.
1t Is the best and cheapest tonic In