CHAPTER XX 



PUBLIC HEALTH AND PERSONAL HYGIENE 



210. The Problems. In cities, towns, and in rural 

 districts as well, the health and well-being of each per- 

 son depend to a large extent upon the general sanitary 

 conditions of the entire community. This fact is well 

 understood to-day. Every nation, state, and city makes 

 provisions through laws and ordinances for the pro- 

 tection of the health and safety of its people. There 

 is not a single city or town which does not have its 

 health department, boards, committees, inspectors, and 

 examiners. 



Some persons think the men employed in a large city 

 to look after its sanitary and hygienic interests have 

 little or nothing to doexcept when some dangerous disease 

 gains a foothold. The fact is, if there is a good working 

 sanitary organization, dangerous diseases never occur, 

 or if they do, they are soon stamped out. What does it 

 mean to keep a city in good sanitary condition ? We 

 shall get some idea of this from the kind and number of 

 problems that come to its sanitary organizations. Let 

 us see what some of these problems are. 



i. To inspect all foods, as meats, vegetables, and 

 fruits, shipped into the city and offered for sale. 



299 



