340 A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 



1 Do not fear these foes. If they hurt you, it is because 

 you drink unfiltered water and eat ill-baked bread. 

 Filter your water or boil it, and if your bread seems 

 ill-baked, toast it well or let it stay some time in a hot 

 oven.' 



If householders, corporations, and others would 

 attend a little more to the ordinary rules of health 

 such as filtering water, boiling milk, destroying 

 unsound food, removing refuse, isolating infectious 

 persons, disinfecting articles of an infectious nature, 

 etc. there would be a considerable decrease in the 

 number of infectious cases, especially during the time 

 of epidemic diseases. In fact, these rules would go a 

 long way towards the prevention of such diseases. 



There is no doubt that many of the epidemics of 

 cholera and other infectious diseases have been largely 

 due to bad or imperfect sanitation. In densely- 

 populated centres it is imperative that the most 

 perfect rules of sanitation should be practised by 

 corporations, sanitary authorities, householders, and 

 others. One cannot help but believe that the visita- 

 tions of epidemic diseases in the past have been 

 blessings in disguise, because they have taught us that 

 cleanliness in all things (in person, food, drink, home, 

 and city) tends directly to prevent and combat the 

 attacks of such diseases as cholera, typhoid fever, 

 scarlatina, etc. In past times town authorities and 

 householders did not heed the voice of the cholera 

 fiend, as is sung in Mackay's lyric, 'The Cholera 

 Chant' 



' They will not hear the warning voice. 

 The cholera comes, rejoice ! rejoice ! 

 He shall be lord of the swarming town ! 

 And mow them down, and mow them down ! ' 



Although there is still room for improvement in 

 sanitary matters, yet no one can be blind to the fact 



