420 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



sary in order to protect other people. Placards are placed 

 on houses which contain patients with these diseases, as a 

 warning to other people. After the patient has recovered, 

 sometimes it is necessary to disinfect the house to kill the 

 bacteria that cause the disease. 



As a protection against smallpox, compulsory vaccination 

 may be required sometimes; and the board of health may 

 furnish free the virus for smallpox vaccination, the vaccine 

 for vaccination against typhoid fever, and the antitoxin for 

 diphtheria. 



The board of health may visit the schools to examine the 

 children for evidences of communicable diseases, and take 

 measures to guard against an increased number of cases. 



FIG. 168. Antitoxin for diphtheria. 



School inspection daily or semi-weekly by a school nurse is 

 the best means of controlling infectious diseases. 



Milk supply. Many of the deaths among infants can be 

 avoided by furnishing visiting nurses and by careful in- 

 spection of milk. One tenth of the cases of consumption 

 among children are believed to come from cow's milk that 

 contains disease germs. 



The milk supply of a town should be carefully inspected 

 to determine, first, that it is free from disease germs ; second, 

 that it is not adulterated; and third, that no chemical has 

 been added to prevent it from souring. The first is by far 

 the most important. All persons handling food or milk 

 should be tested for and known to be free from tuberculosis 

 and typhoid. Cattle should be tested for tuberculosis. 

 The dairy farms should be carefully inspected, and if the 

 necessary sanitary conditions are not found, the license to 

 sell milk should be taken away till the conditions are reme- 

 died. Frequent inspection of these farms is necessary. 



