How to Keep Well 475 



and garbage ; the prevention of pollution of the water supply ; the 

 provisions for a pure milk supply; the abatement of nuisances, 

 like the smoke nuisance and unnecessary noises in the streets at 

 night; the control of insects that carry disease and of rats that 

 transmit to man the dreaded bubonic plague; the improvement 

 of drainage; the care of public baths, public parks, and public 

 museums; the establishment of bacteriological laboratories and 

 free medical service; the prevention and control of epidemics 

 through the distribution and use of vaccines, antitoxins, serums, 

 disinfection and quarantine ; and the inspection of shops, restau- 

 rants and public buildings. 



State supervision of public health becomes necessary because in 

 rural districts there is no supervision, and because food, water 

 and milk used in cities come largely from the country. 



Among the functions of state boards of health are the reg- 

 ulation of child labor so that children may grow up without 

 being weakened by the strain of factory life, the limitation of 

 hours of labor to prevent loss of health through overwork, the 

 requirement of sanitary conditions in factories to prevent the 

 spread of disease, and of protective devices on machinery to safe- 

 guard workers from accidents, the enforcement of decent living 

 conditions in tenement houses and of sanitary conditions in 

 public buildings, and the supervision of sources of milk supply. 



The Federal Government endeavors to prevent the introduc- 

 tion of contagious diseases from foreign countries by quarantine 

 and by excluding diseased immigrants. It enforces the Pure Food 

 and Drug Act, the laws regulating the inspection of meat, and 

 the laws for the exclusion of dangerous narcotics. All these aid 

 in conserving our national vitality. 



The duties and activities of boards of health are vital to the 

 well-being of the communities they serve. On this account it is 

 exceedingly important that efficient and conscientious health offi- 

 cials shall be elected or appointed, that they shall have suitable 

 authority and that they shall have the loyal support of other 

 officials and of citizens in general. 



Investigations, laws, inspections and penalties undoubtedly aid 

 in the efforts to prolong life. However, the fact remains that 



