Even while the war was claiming thousands of lives on the European battlefields, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost right here at home because of preventable diseases. The war is over. We have won the fight for democracy, but we have yet to win the fight against this more insidious, more permanent, and in the aggregate more direct foe of mankind—disease.

How To Prevent Sickness

There is nothing mysterious about the prevention of sickness. Clean homes, clean food, clean hands, clean teeth, clean milk, pure water, fresh air, sanitary privies, war on flies and mosquitoes—their cost is trifling, yet they work wonders and will prevent much sickness.

Are you sure you are doing your part? Do you keep your home clean and well aired?

Is your drinking water safe? If it comes from a spring or well, are you sure that no drainage from a privy, cesspool, or stable can pollute the water?

Is the milk which your children drink either pasteurized or scalded? Do they each receive three glasses of milk daily?

Is the baby nursed at the breast as he should be? Is he kept clean? Does he get plenty of fresh air and is he kept out of the hot, stuffy kitchen? Do you know that bottle babies should have orange juice each day after the first month?

Do you know that flies and mosquitoes carry disease, and do you keep them out of your house by proper screening?

Do you know that all colds are "catching" and may lead to dangerous disease in others, especially children?

Do you know that sickness is often spread by dirty hands? Do you always wash your hands before eating or handling food?

When any of your family is ill with scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, or other preventable diseases, is your health officer always notified so that he can help to keep the disease from spreading to others?

Is your home connected with a sewer? If not, have you a sanitary fly-proof privy?

Finally, are you and your family physically fit? How do you know? Have they been physically examined as the soldiers were?

Do you know that yearly medical examinations are useful to detect early signs of illness and so prolong life? If you can answer "yes" to all these questions, are you certain that your neighbor can, too? Don't let his carelessness endanger your health. In this great emergency the Government looks to all of its people to give it their whole-hearted support.

Jason Ladock

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