Evening journal., 1912-10-25
GARELESSNESS VS..
PUBLIC HEALTH
Secretary Ellison Requests
the Public to Observe
Rules for Sanitation

Secretary J Austin Ellisan, of the
Board of Health. in his weekly bulle-
tin issued this week, sets forth a
number of valuable suggestions for
the people to follow in order to
maintain a standard of public health
Ills letter follows.
Probably more ill-health can bo
attributed TO carelessness than 10 any
other single cause Il is usually
carelessness that leads to dangerous
practices. II is carelessness that per-
mits the backyard to become filthy:
that allows the sale of tainted food
stuffs that tends towards decay in
household or alley
Few of us like filth. Most of us
arc real friends OF sanitation. We
admire picturesque home. cleanly
surroundings, well-kept lawns, clean
walks. roadways and alleys Many of
us maintain such homes but will per-
nit carelessness to rule us when
away from them. We forget that it
makes for an unsightly city when we
carelessly throw bits of paper into
the gutter. We forget sthat the rub
bish We heap up in the alley makes
dat alley unsanitary. We forget
taht those of us afflicted with contag-
rous diseases, even the mildly con-
tageous. can easily infect our neigh
bors. and thus we carelcssly observe
fhe rules of quarantine; or, If our
trouble be one of the contagious
diseases not subject to quarantine,
We become even more careless.
MANY Of us are entirely willing to
do our utmost for the public good.
We ask only that our attention be
Sailed TO our errors. 1t therefore be-
comes the duty Of the Health Depart
nent to repeatedly preach care in
health matters. The department
therefore asks that you exercise every
reasonable care should contagious
diseases enter your house. Isolate
YOUR patient; boil or otherwise ster-
iize the dishes used; do not permit
Family members or others who may be
carriers. TO mingle with neighbors.
Consider that the requests of health
officers, the rules they ask you to OBJ
serve. the regulations they bid you
follow are destined. not TO annoy and
trouble you, but to guard the public.
They are intended to guard you and
your children when others are the af-
ficted.
THE department asks that food
products dealers exercise care. Clean
Iiness should rule in food products
stores. The exercise of just a little
rare will prevent filth accumulation
in corners. under counters and in bins
Look over the stocks. Goods that are
1ecaved. that have become contamin-
ated, that are no longer fit for human
food. should not be offered for sale.
"If you are a manufacturer of food
products. exercise double care. Do
not allow contaminations TO get into
YOUR foodstuffs; do not permit em-
ploycs TO exercise filthy habits. The
greatest difference between good and
pure food products is that the one is
cleanly and the other unclean
use care and good sense in factory
management In too many instances
the manufacturer devotes his every
thought to economic gain. He entirely
forgets the details that make factory
conditions better to work under. IL is
easy TO open windows and thus estab-
lsh ventilation IL is often easy to
avoid the emission of smoke. II sell
dom requires more than little
thought and care to keep toilets
wash-rooms and lunch rooms in sani-
tary condition. This care often marks
the difference between healthy en-
ployes and those afflicted with tuber-
culosis and other diseases.
TO uphold the broader sanitary
standards those that directly affect
all of us, the same care is all that
is necessary. Our schools, our
streets, our alleys and our homes, can
be kept wholesome and healthful with
lust the exercise of a little care. Our
poorset tenements often need SOAP
and water and open windows more
than any other improvements.
so the Health Department breaches
care. the employment of horse sense
in our daily works, so that individual
and thereby public, health and happi-
ness may be maintained and so for
ward apace.