Learning Disease Prevention in School. The House 

 Fly as a Practical Lesson 



C. F. Hodge, Ph.D. 

 Read at the International Congress on School Hygiene, Buffalo, Aug. 25, 19 13 



One sharp, vital lesson may leaven the whole lump of a child's 

 life. Such a lesson may do more. It may work its way into the 

 home and transform its attitude, and then continue to "work" like 

 yeast of leaven in the life of the community and the world. 



The modern problem of health conservation and disease preven- 

 tion is based on really simple grounds of common-sense, cleanliness. 

 Avoidance of contact with filth-infections and effective protection 

 of food and drink from such contacts is almost the whole solution; 

 and keeping the air pure by preventing infective matters from 

 becoming dry and being taken up as dust is practically the remain- 

 ing factor. Dangers from bites of mosquitoes, fleas, stable flies, 

 and rabid animals may be easily taught when of local importance 

 in the spread of disease, but need not be considered in this brief 

 discussion. 



Our problem is, that, of preventing the contact of persons, foods, 

 and utensils with disease germs commonly found in waste matters 

 or fifth, the problem of really common-sense cleanliness. The fact 

 that such matters as quarantine and isolation, disinfection and 

 proper disposal of human and barnyard wastes are not well under- 

 stood indicates that we need to vitalize ideas on these subjects. 

 This is one of the fundamental needs of our home and community 

 life. It is a surprise to most people to realize that flies may break 

 a small-pox quarantine. 



At the time I was shocked and surprised to hear Dr. Charles 

 Wardell Stiles say in a public lecture : We are the filthiest people 

 on the face of the earth. Full and free confession is good for the 

 soul, and, as I remember it. Stiles repeated the statement three 

 times with all the emphasis he could give it. I have been thinking 

 of it ever since and wish every man, woman and school child might 

 do likewise until we become the cleanliest people on the face of the 

 earth. 



As I thought, I remembered the smooth, clean streets of Berlin, 

 Leipzig, Dresden, Munich, Vienna, Milan, Paris, and compared 

 them with the filthy streets of our own cities, paved with cobbles 

 and riprap, the work unscientific and hap-hazard, the streets 



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