SCHOOL SURROUNDINGS 



297 



in cleaning. A septic tank costs little more to install and is much 

 safer than the ordinary cesspool. In city houses the disposal of 

 human wastes is provided for by a system of sewers. Garbage 

 should be disposed of each day. The garbage pail should be fre- 

 quently sterilized by rinsing it with boiling water and plenty of 

 lye or soap. Remember that flies frequent the uncovered garbage 

 pail, and that they may fly from it to your food. Collection and 

 disposal of garbage is the work of the municipality. 



School Surroundings ; how to improve them. — From five to 

 six hours a day for forty weeks a year are spent by the average boy 



The culture (A) was exposed to the air of a dirty street in the crowded part of 

 Manhattan. (B) was exposed to the air of a well-cleaned and watered street in 

 the uptown residence portion. Which culture has the more colonies of bacteria? 

 How do you account for this ? 



or girl in the schoolroom. It is part of our environment and should 

 therefore be considered as worthy of our care. A schoolroom 

 should be not only attractive, but also clean and sanitary. City 

 schools, because of their location, the sometimes poor janitor 

 service, and especially the selfishness and carelessness of children 

 who use them, may be very dirty and unsanitary. Dirt and dust 

 breed and carry bacteria. Plate cultures show that there are 

 greatly increased numbers of bacteria in the air when pupils are 

 moving about, for then dust, bearing bacteria, is stirred up and 

 circulated through the air. Sweeping and dusting with dry 

 brooms or feather dusters only stirs up the dust, leaving it to settle 



