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queistecl public places as squares, playgrouuds and especially public schools. 

 A suiff of, or a glance at the accommodations offered the public In rail- 

 road stations or theatres in many instances is argument enough against 

 conditions as they exist about us. 



ru))lic toilets may be exchange places of disease germs. Evidence is 

 not lacking that epidemic disease frequently spreads from these centers. 

 (Occasional cases of venereal disease or even of intestinal disease may be 

 traced to toilets Trachoma and various infections are transmitted from 

 person to person by the common roller toAvel. The indirect effect of inade- 

 quate facilities and revolting toilets, making it impossible or undesirable for 

 people to free the body of its wastes, and lieucc affecting the resistance of 

 the body, is much more important than the direct transmission of disease 

 germs in this case. A nation's or a town's refinement, education and mor- 

 ality may well be noted l)y the comfort, i)rivacy and inviting facilities it 

 offers to its inhaltitants for the evacuiitions of the I)ody. It is beyond the 

 scope of my pajH'r to indicate the dire effects resulting from improper func- 

 tioning and impr(ii)er attention to this important need. Suffice it to say 

 that many so-called functional diseases as liver and kidney trouble, fre- 

 quent headaches, intestinal disorders and other di-sorders are frequent 

 ><('qu('l;e due to neglect of ridding the body of its wastes. The impairment 

 of the functioning of these vital organs tears down the general normal 

 barriers to infectious diseases and so indirectly, lack of sufficient and in- 

 viting toilets is a cause of much sickness, suffering, and even of death. 



The public drinking cup has been condemned because It affords an 

 ideal vehicle for the mutual exchange of saliva. T'eople who will laugh 

 iieartily at the joke when you suggest "swapping gum" serenely follow you 

 to the public fountain and mouth the cup directly after you and dozens of 

 others. In liiO!) Kansas, Michigan and Mississippi first adopred regulations 

 against the use of the common drinking cup in schools and railroad trains, 

 and now several states, including Wisconsin, Massachusetts and California 

 have legislated against this disease distributor. 



As with toilets, the p]-ol)lem of public drinking facilities involves a 

 question of direct transfer of disease virus and one of general body condi- 

 tioning. It is a .simple matter to demonstrate mouth epithelial cells and 

 mouth streptococci on the edge of the public drinking cup. and it is obvious 

 enough that disease germs are always i)otentially present and may pass in 

 a few minutes, or even seconds fivmi the mouth of the incipiciitlv sick or 



