96 ELEMENTS OF GENERAL SCIENCE 



thus making possible their further distribution by flies. If no 

 disease germs were allowed to get into the refuse, the increased 

 number of flies would be annoying but not necessarily of any 

 importance relative to disease. 



107. Cleanliness and disease. Individual and civic cleanli- 

 ness are important. Our standards of taste and decency should 

 demand that sewage, garbage, and all kinds of refuse be re- 

 moved at proper times and in proper ways. But infinitely 

 more important is care which will insure that disease germs 

 may not be allowed to pass to other people. When, in 1898, 

 the United States took possession of Havana, Cuba, the har- 

 bor, naturally one of the finest in the world, was filled with 

 refuse from Havana. In the city open sewers carried bacteria- 

 laden sewage, and flies, mosquitoes, dogs, and rats had ready 

 access to this filth. During the year 1898 one human being 

 in each twelve died the terrible price that ignorance and 

 carelessness exacts. Our army had vanquished the Spanish, 

 but a far more difficult conquest remained. It is easy to 

 locate and fight a political enemy, but very hard to fight 

 ignorance, especially when it is backed by unfounded preju- 

 dice. Consequently the Cuban resident of Havana who had 

 been set free from Spain had to be set free from himself. 

 Martial law prevailed until the harbor was cleaned, a new 

 and pure water supply was found, a more sanitary system of 

 sewage disposal installed, and, last but greatest, those who 

 were in charge of sick people were compelled to sterilize all 

 material containing disease bacteria, so that the agents of 

 transmission did not carry disease germs. Soon average health 

 returned to Havana a conquest of more import than her 

 release from Spain. Is it better to vanquish a nation in war 

 or to discover and apply principles through which people may 

 live better and accomplish more ? 



108. Practical questions. What can you do in your home 

 neighborhood to improve the healthfulness of it ? What are 

 the laws relative to quarantine in case of infectious diseases? 



