294 IMPROVEMENT OF MAN'S ENVIRONMENT 



surface. Dusting with a dry cloth simply stirs up the bacteria 

 and does not remove them. In certain city tenements tuberculosis 

 is believed to have been spread by people occupying rooms in which 

 a previous tenant had tuberculosis. A new tenant should insist 

 on a thorough cleaning of the bedrooms and removal of old wall 

 paper before occupancy. 



Sunlight and Dry Soil Important. — A house in the country as 

 well as an apartment in the city should have sunlight in at least 

 some of the rooms. A location in which damp soil or marshy pools 

 are found is not healthful. Mosquitoes may breed there, and the 

 wet soil may become water-soaked and foul-smelling. Cellars of 

 houses in such localities are bound to be damp and musty, mold 

 abounds, and it becomes difficult to keep food in damp cellars. 



Heating. — Houses in the country are often heated by open 

 fires, stoves, or hot-air furnaces, all of which make use of heated 

 currents of air to warm the rooms. But in city apartments, 

 usually, pipes conduct steam or hot water from a central plant to 

 the rooms and warm over the stale air without providing a fresh 

 supply of air. Hot water gives a more even heat than steam but is 

 expensive to install. Some system which introduces warmed /res/i 

 air is especially desirable. 



Artificial Lighting. — Lighting of our rooms is a matter of much 

 importance. A student lamp, or shaded incandescent light, should 

 be used for reading, so that the eyes are protected from direct light. 

 Gas is a dangerous servant, because it contains a very poisonous 

 substance, carbon monoxide. ^' It is estimated that 14 per cent 

 of the total product of the gas plant leaks into the streets and 

 houses of the cities supplied." This forms an unseen menace to 

 health in cities. Gas pipes, especially gas cocks, should be watched 

 carefully for escaping gas. Worn and leaky rubber tubing should 

 not be used to conduct gas to movable lamps. 



Care of Foods. — Although we can buy many foods in sealed 

 packages, much of our food is exposed to the handling of people 

 who may be careless. Vegetables and meats are too often exposed 

 to dust, dirt, and handling. We should patronize only the butcher 

 who keeps his meat iced in covered counter cases and whose helpers 

 show clean habits in handling and delivering foods. Our grocer 

 should keep fresh vegetables and fruits covered during the summer 



