Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-18
BAD HOUSING
AND DISEASE
Many Ways In Which DWELL
ings May Affect Haaitl
MEASURES OF PaEvEaTIl!
Professor James Ford chows Various
Ways In Which the House nay Dele
toriously Affect Health ant How
Housing Legislation Is Eheotive IN
Prevention of Disease.

tc'ioSsiy AHeSs fISatSH ant iIOH
Housing legislation Is Eheo,ive IN
Prevention of Disease.
In a paper on Housing Conditions as
Factors In the Production of Disease"
Professor james Ford Of the dcgatt
ment of social ethics OF Harvard uni
versity shows the many ways in which
the house may affect health.
Injuries caused by housing conditions
include almost all forms Of superficial
wounds. due to effectively butt or ont
Of repair st.Hctures Such injuries are
increasingly prevented through build
ing laws, housing laws and tire preyen.
ton laws. Specific legislation can pre-
vent diseases causel by chemical poi
sonlns from defective fues and Gas
fixtures. Malaria, which is tran mitted
from man to E!an through the medium
Of the mosquito, may be reduced II
rooms are well screened The hook.
worm disease may be largely prevented
by the universal requirement o. mod
ern toilets.
Since it Is possible by housing le lis.
lafion to control somewhat the factor
OF ventilation, it is possible at least to
hasten the deSiccation Of the bacteria
of diseases of the respiratory exact.
The control of dust and dirt, the pre-
vention of room oyercrowding ana
provision for the natural Lighting OF
halls and apartments should aid III the
prevention of these bacterial diseases.
The requirement in health and housing
laws that garbage pals AMI manure
piles shall be covered and that all or.
ganic wastes shall be removed from
premises will materially reduce the
numbers Of insect carriers Of diseases
transmitted through contaminated food
aud drink.
1t is probable that the conditions of
the home materially affect the nervous
tone Of the occupant, OvercroWGing
and the lodger evil certainly affect the
moral tone. All provisions tending to
encourage the construction Of cottage
homes would tend to reduce these evils
as well as the dangers from bacterial
diseases. Professor Ford says.
Housing legislation Is most effective
III the prevention of disease. in all
probability, not because 1t provides
means CT reducing contact or destroy.
ing germs, but because OF the part
which 1t may play in the building up
OF resistance. Human beings vary ap-
parently quite considerably in their
relative constitutional immunity to
specific diseases, but a given indlvld-
uals susceptibility to many diseases,
as, for example, tuberculosis. may be
considerably affected by his mode of
living. Resistance may he reduced by
overwork, undernourishmcnt, abuse of
alcohol or certain other poisons, ap-
parently also by inadequate exercise.
Resistance may apparently be increas
ed by living in fresh air. 1t Is prob.
able also that sunshine plays a quite
important part in increasing human re-
sistance. The quality of the blood and
the number of phagocytes or white
blood corpuscles, which are among the
most important Of the body's defensive
agents against disease, may be lncreas-
ed rapidly by exposure OF the body to
the sunshine. In so far as housing ley
islation tends, therefore, to increase
the amount Of fresh mir and Of sun
shine in the homes Of all classes, Il
presumably tends to increase resist
ance to disease. This If true. offers
the most cogent argument Of all for
housing legislation.
ut should be understood that housing
conditions are seldom the sole cause Of
disease. There must be a constitutional
predlspoSitl0n, hereditary or acquired,
In the case OF infectious diseases the
germ must be present and ingested in
infective Quantities. Doctors disagree
also as to the mode Of infection or &c.
qllrement Of many diseases. Neverthe.
less the burden of proof lies with the
person who critieisee the general view
OF the Psychologists ana quarrels with
the experience of health departments
and investigators BAD housing coud
tons OF various sorts may be real fac
tors in the reduction Of health and In
the production of variety Of diseases.
improvement Of housing conditions will
serve to reduce the volume of prevent
able diseases and accidents and may
help to render the lives of persons of
small income not only tolerable, but eff.
hcient and joyous. American city.