348 



Constant 



germs may be passed from person to per- 

 son, and must take steps to prevent such 

 transfer. 



Precautions against the spread of germs. 

 The health laws of many communities 

 require that special types of drinking 

 fountains be installed; that paper towels 

 be supplied in public washrooms; that 

 food and drink may be sold only in 

 licensed establishments that meet high 

 standards of cleanliness; and that those 

 who have certain diseases be quarantined. 

 Other laws require that foods which are 

 eaten cooked be protected not only from 

 dust on which bacteria ride, but from 

 flies which may be carrying germs on 

 their feet. The common housefly was 

 once called the typhoid fly because of 

 the important role it played in carrying 

 typhoid germs from excretions to food. 

 For this reason food is protected by be- 

 ing packaged or kept under cover. 



Shellfish that grow in polluted waters 

 near large cities are often eaten raw and 

 they may also spread typhoid or other 

 intestinal diseases. Oyster and clam beds 

 in many states are frequently inspected 

 to prevent possible infection. Bacteria 

 and particularly larger parasites may be 

 carried in meat from diseased animals. 

 There is federal inspection of slaughter 

 houses to ensure us protection. 



Recent measures for health protection. 

 A large variety of germs can be spread 

 from the respiratory organs, clinging to 

 the tiny droplets of moisture expelled in 

 ordinary speaking and particularly in 

 coughing and sneezing. Since there are 

 likely to be a number of carriers in every 

 gathering of well people, the air may 

 contain large numbers of pathogenic 

 germs. Recently ultra-violet lamps have 



Care Is Needed for Health unit vi 



been installed in some public gathering 

 places to kill germs in the air. This prac- 

 tice has met with considerable success 

 and is likely to be further extended. Mist 

 sprays containing disinfectants are also 

 being used with success in large meeting 

 places. 



Carriers other than man. Insects are 

 important carriers of disease germs. 

 Some, like the housefly, spread germs 

 that stick to their feet; these are not true 

 carriers. But numerous other insects that 

 bite get germs of one special kind from 

 the blood of a sick person and transfer 

 them to the next well person they bite. 

 In some of these cases the germ may live 

 in the insect for a considerable time. 

 Fleas are carriers of the germs of bu- 

 bonic plague from one rat or ground 

 squirrel to another or from one of these 

 animals to man. When the rat or squirrel 

 dies of the disease, all the fleas leave the 

 body carrying virulent germs with them. 

 Extermination of all rats and ground 

 squirrels with their fleas would be the 

 best preventive measure. But this is prob- 

 ably impossible. In most communities 

 there are very many more rats than there 

 are people. Poisoning and trapping gives 

 some immediate relief but as soon as it is 

 discontinued the rat population increases 

 rapidly again. To get rid of rats it is nec- 

 essary to tear down all old buildings and 

 replace them with completely ratproof 

 buildings. Since killing all rats is so diffi- 

 cult, health authorities have used other 

 methods to keep bubonic plague in 

 check. They try to prevent infected rats 

 from entering our country from ships 

 that come from plague-infested parts of 

 the world. The hawsers (heavy ropes) 

 that hold ships to their piers are equipped 



