METHODS OF PREVENTING AND SPREADING DISEASE 321 



METHODS OP PREVENTING AND SPREADING DISEASE 



Quarantine. The only way to safeguard the public from con- 

 tagious diseases is by quarantine. People who do not conscientiously 

 keep all quarantine regulations and restrictions are poor citizens. 



Quarantine is the adoption of measures to prevent the intro- 

 duction of diseases from one locality to another. 



Patients suffering from contagious diseases are often sent to 

 " Isolation Hospitals." If the patient must be kept at home, or is 

 allowed to remain at home, the house is quarantined for a certain 

 length of time, depending upon the disease. A placard is placed 

 on the house, and the occupants of the house are restricted in their 

 movements. Regulations are different for different diseases. 



Fumigation. After the recovery of the patient, the room or 

 house must be disinfected to kill all germs. This is usually done by 

 fumigating through the use of sulphur fumes or formaldehyde. 

 Fumigation, to be effective, must be done by an experienced person. 

 The Board of Health frequently attends to it. 



How to Prevent the Transmission of Disease Germs. The 

 hands are great germ carriers because they come in contact with 

 all kinds of germ-laden articles, as books, pencils, door knobs, street 

 car straps, and other hands. Millions of germs can collect under the 

 finger nails. Keep the hands clean, using plenty of good soap. 

 Form the habit of keeping the hands away from the mouth, nose and 

 eyes. Never eat food with soiled hands. 



The banishment of the common towel and drinking cup has 

 helped to stop the transmission of disease germs. 



Dust is a great carrier of germs. Streets should be sprinkled 

 and cleaned. Some damp material should be used in sweeping-the 

 floors of public buildings. Houses should be swept with damp 

 brooms, carpet sweepers, or vacuum cleaners to keep down dust. 

 Dusting should be done with a damp or oiled cloth that will remove 

 the dust and not scatter it. 



Never buy candy or fruit left uncovered to collect dust and 

 germs. All food left exposed to the dust of the air should be prop- 

 erly cleaned before eating. Roadside berries or fruits may have 

 harmful germs in the dust which has gathered on them. 



