Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-01-26
TRACK DISEASE
GERMS IN HOUSE:
Health Officer Foulks Says
Many Persons Do 1t
UnwittingIy
ALWAYS USE DOOR MA"
Filth Sticks to Shoe SOlcs and Heat
Causes it TO Drop on Carpets
Spreading Disease Germs

Many people unthinking track dis
sease into their own homes. You
! would naturally think the common in
:t;nc. OF cleanliness would teach us
| 20 wipe our feet before entering the
/ house. The Japanese always remove
their shoes before stepping inside
/ .heir living rooms. Of course it would
! De rather embarrassing for one of us
when visiting u friend, to sit dawn
| on his doorstep and take off our
shoes, but the idea is right neverths-
less. But IS this tracked in dirt harm
! full to health and if so how? Well. lei
is look into the subject little an;!
see how it works out. The same man
who strongly insists upon things be-
;ng sanitary; who g!bly talks abou5
The danger from disease germs; wh3
would ret dream of wiping his hands
On the same towel touched by an
other. even though It be member
Of his cwn family; this same man VII!
walk about the filthy streets and with
shoes covered with dirt containing
countless thousands of deadly disease
germs, will then coolly enter his
house, step over the mat in the hall
ard proceed to distribute this ac-
cumuated dirt and bacteria over the
rugs ana carpets Of the living rooms
If his sanitary GU home! If ycu
think this picture is overdrawn. just
look about little and you will find
have not even done the subject full
justice.
Now let us consider what the sole
cf shoe really is. Every form Of filth
sticks to it. The leather is filled with
large pores, as we'll as cuts and
cracks caused By use. These soon be-
come filled with dirt in the form Of
paste, if the weather is damp. 81
sn:er entering the house the heat
will soon dry the shoes and this dirt
.hen begins 10 drop out at every stsp.
spreading it over rugs and carpets
20 later raise as a fire dust, float
about the rooms and be inhaled a.
every breath of the occupant. Ard
This is the way many diseases of the
ncse, throat and lungs, such as .gr!ppo
sore throat and common colds, ar,
distributed during the winter season.
While it would seem almost impcs-
SIble for us to prevent the various
disease-causing bacteria from gain
ing an entrance to our living rooms.
| lons and careful investigation has
convinced me that most Of them ara
carried into the house by means Of
dust and dirt sticking to the shoes.
| Incll again tllc "!i'lei SctiSui Di4ilSA
frequent rain and snow, keeping the
streets SLOPPY with dirty siush con-
tanning almost every kind Of disease
germ known to science. This filth is
being constantly tracked into the
house by careless grown people an.
thougnt!ess children, and distributed
over the floors. Il is therefore, easy
to understand why under such con-
ditions as these, you are far more
liable to contract colds, grippe. sor:
throat ard other diseases affecting
the air passages, right in your cw1,
house, than while walking about ths
streets in the open air.
Steps should be promptly taken t.
prevent such laden filth from
being carted in on the unwiped, or M
least carelessly wiped shoes cf thc
members of the household.
a suitable mat of the best quality
/ frequently and carefully cleaned
should be placed al the front door, ard
each member of tie family strongly
impressed with he fact that it is not
put there as an ornament or simply :
for the benefit of visitors, but TO pre-
tect the health Of those within froT
the dangers that lurk without! An
while we may not be able to follow
the safe and sane Oriental custom o.
removing the shoes before entering
the house, we can at least do so after
wards and before the damp shoes be
gin to dry cut. By promptly subst;
tuting slippers or light house shoe:
We will not only lesson the danger