The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-04-11
DISEASE AND
DIRT ARE
TWINS
Filth in Streets May Cause Your
Death, So Help as Much as
You Can to Clean Town.
ess That the Children Wash Hands
and Face Before Eating-and
Fight Flies, for They're
Pestilert,
BY DR.. A. s. BARNES.

DlAL uAlu ulSCuSC ulC ApL W ~ ~
gether, but until lately no n knew
why. Today we know that dirt an
disease often are closely connected
because dirt generally is not merel.
dead earth, but rather a kind of lv
ing earth, crowded with unseen ant
almost countless germs of microbes
some Of which are dangerous, and evel
deadly. .
Dirty streets are dangerous because
the dirt in this cast may cling t.
shoes or other articles of footwear ant
be carried from the streets into houses
where, either al fresh dirt OF NOR,
often as dry dirt (dust), It may fine
Its way to foods or other articles, which
either enter OF. touch the mouths o.
members of the household.
Street dust also is dangerous wher
dried up or pulverized or turned int
dust which may be readily lifted anC
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 Causes Many Diseases.
( The connection between street dust
and a number Of diseases now 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 80 cases.
Dust may so 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 rs.
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 whirled into our
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, candies, con.
fectionery, ETC., form a final resting
place tor this germ.laden filth. It also
on walls, carpets, curtains.
and then is set freshly into
circulation with each and every dus.,
ing and sweeping.
Germs Plentiful In Food.
1t Is stiil easier to understand why
sater which contains dirt or excretn
nay be very dangerous. because in no
Wy are the germs Of disease more
'eadily taken into the human body
han with food and drink.
Dirty milk Ia dangerous because the
most often found in milk is mn, ;
'ure or else dirt from dirty barns.
dirty utensils, or dirty milkmen
have handled the milk with dirty !
'ands. Dirty hands are dangerous.
. human hands so very readily
lmost everywhere, and thus only too
asily, become dirty-children, for 81.
mple, have soiled their hands, NAV
erhaps the next minute put their fin. (
ers upon their faces or into their {
'ouths, and thus carry dirt, and With /.
lat the germs Of disease directly into
body itself. Frequent Washing Of
70 hands 10 4 great sanitary safe. /,
uard. ~