The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-06-30
DISEASE AND
DIRT ARE
TWINS
Filth in Streets May Cause Your
Death, So Help as Much as
You Can to Clean Town.
eeo That the Children Wash Hands
and Face Before EatIng-and
Fight Flies, for They're
Pestilert.
BY DR.. A. s. N

Dirt and disease are apt to 60 to-
gether, but until lately no one knew
why. Today we know that dirt Ind
disease often are closely connected,
because dirt generally is not merely
dead earth, but rather a kind Of liv.
ing earth, crowded with unseen and
almost countless germs Of microbes,
some of which are dangerous, and eve
deadly.
Dirty streets are dangerous because
the dirt in this case may cling to
shoes or other articles Of footwear and
be carried from the streets into houses
where, either al fresh dirt or more
often as dry dirt (dust), 1t may find
its way to foods or other articles, which
either enter OF touch the mouths of
members of the household.
Street dust also is dangerous when
dried up or pulverized or turned into
dust which may be readily lifted and
blown about, thus finding its way per-
haps directly into the mouths of hu
man beings or through cracks OF
crevices or open doors and windows
into human habitations, and finally
Into human bodies, with articles Of
food or drink.
Dust causss Many Diseases.
The connection between street dust
and q number Of diseases nov is clear
ly established. It Is claimed that out
Of 48 experiments On animals, the
germs contained in city and dust
caused infectious diseases in 81 cases.
Dust may 80 lower the vitality Of
the mucous membranes by producing
an irritated condition Of the respira.
tory organs that the development OF
disease is made easy from the germs
deposited thereon.
Street dust consists Of ashes,
ground-up steel, Iron, stone and as.
phaltum; house and store sweepings,
pollens Of plants, excrements Of
horses, dogs and birds, dried sputa,
dead ~pulverized Insects, pulverized
earth, plaster and cement, earth from
street excavations, SCOT from chimneys,
debris from fruit stands, garbage and
even human excrements, which In
crowded regions frequently are voided
by children or adults In alleys and Ill.
lighted streets.
This filth is being vhirled into u
faces by the wind, by motor and street
cars and other vehicles, while we walk
or drive; into our homes, Offices, fac.
tories, theaters, churches and stores
where meats, fish, fruit, vegetables,
breadstuffs, cake, pastry. candles, con.
fectonery, ETC., form a final resting
place for this germ-laden nth. It also
settles on walls, carpets, curtains,
clothes, and then Is set freshly into
circulation with each and every dust
Ing and sweeping. 49,
oerTns Plentiful In Food.
II IL still easAer to understand whS
water which contains dirt or excreta
may be very dangerous, because in no
way are the germs Of disease more
readily taken into the human body
than with food and drink.
Dirty milk Is dangerous because the
dirt most often found In milk is ma.
npre or else dirt from dirty barns,
or dirty utensils, or dirty mllkrncn
who have handled the milk with dirty
hands. Dirty hands are dangerous,
% human hands 30 very readily
almost everywhere, and thus only too
easily. become dlrty-children, for ex.
ample. have soiled their hands, may
perhaps the next minute put their In.
gers upon their faces or into their
mouths, and thus carry dirt, and With
That the germs Of disease directly iato
she body itself. Frequent washing Il
the hsoels ID . great % litary ute
9sAsa-