The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-05
PUBLIC DRINKING CUP AND
COTTON TOWEL TO GO


The use of the public drinking cup
and the common towel has been pro-
hibited' by the Advisory Board of the
State Department of Health. Bar
bers are forbidden to brush the eyes
of customers with a common brush
and the proprietors of public eating
houses and restaurants must here
after thoroughly cleanse all eating
utensils after each individual use.
Physicians are required to report
two additional communicable dis
eases, scabies and impetigo-contag-
ioSa
The employees of the State De-
partment of Health have been busily
engaged for the past "a hours in
sending copies of these new regula-
tions to the local boards of health,
school boards, clerks of councils,
health officers, etc. In addition a
copy will be placed in the hands of
the various hotel and restaurant
keepers throughout the Common
wealth.
When interviewed relative to the
new regulations, DR.. Samuel G. Dix
on, commissioner of health, said, "the
general public has been educated to
the point where it will no longer
consider it hardship and depriva-
ton and the travelling public are de-
manding that the common drinking
cup and towel be abolished. Some
years ago when the agitation was
begun, leading to the present action
of the Department, there was un-
favorable comment on the part of
would-be humorists, the ignorant
and unthinking, but during the past
few years the general public has
come to realize that it is almost as
insanitary and disgusting to use the
common cup as it would be to use a
common tooth brush and that like
wise the majority of people are IA
miliar with the fact that numerous
skin infections and contagious eye
diseases are frequently transmitted
by the use of the filthy common
towel.
This increased knowledge is now
so widely extended that in railway
trains, schools, factories and Office
buildings, individual cups or sanitary
bubbling drinking fountains are
available and likewise the individual
and the paper towel are now found
everywhere.
THE public has an unquestionable
right to demand cleanliness from the
proprietors of public eating houses
and that proper precautions be used
in cleaning the dishes and utensils
used in the preparation of foods and
in the service.
THE wiser and more far sighted
restauranteurs for several years past
have carried out every reasonable
sanitary precautions and the grow
ing number of spotless white tiled
eating houses where the food is pre-
pared in cleanly fashion under the
| eyes of the patrons, is a sufficient
evidence of the fact that this care
and attention is appreciated by the
public. There is no reason why the
demand for decehcy in the serving
and preparation of food should in
| any way increase it's cost"
The full text of the rules and reg
ulations above mentioned is as fol-
lows:
First: Those responsible for es-
tablishing or conducting any public
drinking place in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania are hereby forbid
den to furnish or permit others to
furnish or keep any common drink
ING NCSOCl lOI use at any
such drinking place provided this
rule and regulation shall not pre-
clude the use of vessels which are
cleaned by washing in boiling water
| or are disinfected or destroyed af-
| ter individual use. Public places
within the meaning of this regulation
shall include common carriers, pri-
vate, public, parochial or Sunday
| Gnhnnlc nd
ters, shops, offices, hotels, ETC., etc" "
Second: mo person, persons or
corporation within the Common
wealth of Pennsylvania shall furnish
for public use any towel unless such
towel be laundered or discarded af-
ter each individual use."
Third: BARRIERS are hereby for
hidden to use a common brush for
brushing the eyes of their patrons
unless such brush be disinfected af-
ter each individual use."
Fourth: "Proprietors or persons
in charge of public eating places are
hereby forbidden to use drinking ves-
sells, dishes, spoons, knives, forks,
| finger bowls and other eating uten-
sils which have not been thoroughly
cleaned after each individual use."
Fifth: "All physicians practicing
within the limits of the State shall
make an immediate report of each
and every case of scabies and i'm
petigo-contagiosa."
(The penalty which the Act of
April 27th, 1905. provides for the
failure to observe them is as fol-
| lows:)
Section 10. Every person who
violates any order or regulation OF
the Department of Health, or who re-
! sists or interferes with any officer OF