Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-08-15
HINTS ON HEALTH
prepared and Furnished by the
Public Health Education
Committee Of Minnesota
State Medical ASSN.


used in homes are no more effective
in killing disease germs than the
burning of incense would be to
| appease the pagan Gods. The edu-
cational committee of the Minnesota
State Medical association declares
| that soap and water is cheaper and
far more effective.
eff people would use soap and
water more freely and less disinfect-
| ing connections they would be better
| off," declares the bulletin of the Min
| nesota State Medical association.
Ample light admitted into rooms will
kill more germs than any spray or
| smudge.
"Disinfecting solutions are of value
| for distinctions of the hands, and
| persons having the care of cases of
communicable disease may use them
to advantage after the hands have first
been carefully cleansed. But under
ordinary circumstances it is not neces-
sary to use disinfectants. Most soaps
have disinfecting powers. A hand
| brush and strong suds used on the
hands with particular attention paid
| to removing the dirt which collects
beneath the nails will usually render
the skin not only clean, but free from
| harmful germs. Would that more
cooks would bear this fact in mind.
| Soaps advertised as containing disin-
| fectants have been shown to have
little, if any, stronger action than or
binary soaps
Dishes and table silver need to
be rendered sterile after use in order
to prevent spread of colds and other
infections from person to person.
Here again special disinfectants are
not necessary, for washing with hot
suds, followed by scafding water will
render these articles clean and free
from all common disease germs I'm
fortunately both dish water and rims
ing water are commonly used too cool
to be effective.
"A great deal is heard about the
| danger from dust in the home or in
the streets. This has been greatly
overrated, for by the time dangerous
| germs have become sufficiently dry to
float around in the, air, drying and
sunlight have rendered them harm
less. Dust driven by the wind is,
however, mischievous, because it's Of
ten sharp particles are apt to damage
the surface of the mucous membranes
lining the mouth, nose and throat and
thus favor the entry of disease pro-
ducing organisms.
ut was formerly the custom to
fumigate rooms after the recovery of
a case of diphtheria. Some commun-
tiles even went so far as to require
that an entire house be disinfected
whenever it was vacated whether any
person in the family had been sick or
not. Such practices may be compared
to the heather custom of burning in
cense to appease the gods of disease
so far as any good resulting from
them is concerned, for diphtheria
germs and many other disease organ
isms die very quickly outside the hui
man body.
Enough has been said to show that
disinfectants are not needed for ev-
eryday use in the home However,
some good disinfectant> should be kept
on hand for the treatment of wounds.
Tincture of iodine or mercurochrome
are excellent for sterilizing cuts or
bruises.
"One thing should be always re-
membered; chemical disinfectants are
usually injurious or poisonous; and
all poisons should be so labeled, and
kept beyond the reach of children.
preferably under lock and key"