CHAPTER XII 



WATER, HEAT, AIR, AND LIGHT IN THE HOUSE 



233. Modern Conveniences. In no respect does 

 modern life differ more greatly from that of the past 

 than in home comforts and conveniences. Ancient and 

 medieval peoples built larger monuments, and more 

 enduring tombs and temples, than we are building; but 

 the homes of the people were cheerless indeed when 

 compared with those of American cities to-day. Even the 

 wealthy could not always have heat, light, and water 

 in abundance; consequently the winter was full of dis- 

 comfort, houses were insanitary and dark, and filth and 

 dirt were everywhere the rule. The cleanliness, light, 

 and warmth of our houses, schools, and public buildings 

 are due to modern scientific discoveries and their appli- 

 cation. 



234. Water in House and Town. We have already 

 considered the need of pure water (cf. 81 to 85, and 

 226) ; we must also remember that modern man needs an 

 abundance of water. In our houses we need it for drink- 

 ing, for cooking, and, as ice, for preserving food; for bath- 

 ing the body, washing dishes and clothing, spraying 

 lawns and gardens, and carrying waste matter into the 

 sewage system. The industries of the city need it for 

 producing steam, for washing and rinsing on a large scale, 



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