FLOWERLESS PLANTS 475 



It is the purpose of health officials to keep in isolation all persons 

 having communicable disease during the time that they are infectious. 

 But in many cases this is impossible. Little restraint is put on cer- 

 tain mild diseases, as measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, and 

 mumps ; and even such diseases as diphtheria, scarlet fever, and tuber- 

 culosis are frequently so mild as to be unnoticed, and children affected 

 with them mingle freely with others. It is probable that in such 

 cases one of the chief vehicles of contagion is the secretion of the 

 mouth and nose. It is believed that much can be done to prevent 

 contagion by teaching habits of cleanliness. But if such instruction 

 is to be effectual it must be continuous. The teacher must notice 

 and correct violations of those rules as habitually as the violation of 

 the formal school rules are corrected. 



Even if the question of disease and contagion did not enter into 

 the matter at all the subject ought to be given more attention by 

 teachers. Our schools should not only teach reading, writing, and 

 arithmetic, but it is perhaps quite as important that they should 

 inculcate cleanliness, decency, refinement, and manners. Cleanliness 

 should be taught for its own sake, even if it had no relation whatever 

 to health. 



Teach the Children 



Not to spit ; it is rarely necessary. To spit on a slate, floor, or 

 sidewalk is an abomination. 



Not to put the fingers into the mouth. 



Not to pick the nose. 



Not to wet the finger with saliva in turning the leaves of books. 



Not to put pencils into the mouth or moisten them with the lips. 



Not to put money into the mouth. 



Not to put anything into the mouth except food and drink. 



Not to swap apple cores, candy, chewing gum, half-eaten food, 

 whistles or bean blowers, or anything that is habitually put in the 

 mouth. 



Teach the children to wash the hands and face often. See that 

 they keep them clean. If a child is coming down with a communi- 

 cable disease it is reasonable to believe that there is less chance of 

 infecting persons and things if the hands and face are washed clean 

 and not daubed with the secretions of the nose and mouth. 



Teach the children to turn the face aside when coughing and 

 sneezing, if they are facing another person. 



Children should be taught that their bodies are their own private 

 possessions, that personal cleanliness is a duty, that the mouth is for 

 eating and speaking and should not be used as a pocket, and the lips 

 should not take the place of fingers. 



Providence, May, 1901. 



