CHAPTER VI 



HYGIENE OF RESPIRATION 



55. Disease Germs in the Air. Along with the air 

 there may be inhaled fine dust, injurious gases, and 

 many kinds of disease germs and other impurities float- 

 ing about in the atmosphere. Some of these do little 

 or no harm, but others irritate the delicate mucous 

 membrane and even cause disease. Among the mala- 

 dies that afflict the air passages or enter the body 

 through them are the following : colds, catarrh, adenoid 

 growths, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, diphtheria, 

 consumption, mumps, measles, scarlet fever, chicken 

 pox, and smallpox. 



Many infectious and contagious diseases are due to 

 little germs that are inhaled and then attack the mucous 

 membrane directly or enter the blood and are carried to 

 the organs in which they can best do their deadly work. 

 We call these " air-borne" diseases. Most of these 

 maladies could be avoided if all people realized the 

 value of pure air and understood the nature and causes 

 of the more common diseases of this kind. 



56. Diseases of the Air Passages. No organs of the 

 body are more subject to disease than the air passages. 

 The delicate mucous membrane is well supplied with 



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