Preventing the Spread of Disease (1940)

[Music] for Barbara not for her the Carefree Hours of Happy [Music] play nor the busy hours of work and study what has happened to her that she lies there so hot and feverish so weak and dizzy so miserable with suffering and [Music] pain our body is just like a little country that has been invaded by an enemy Army but the enemy in this case is not big soldiers this invading Army is so tiny that it can be seen only through a microscope its soldiers are the germs of communicable disease some of these disease causing organisms are so small that they cannot be seen even with the most powerful microscope they are detected only because they can pass through the tiny holes of this filter a communicable disease is one which can be caught from someone else this means that the germs have to leave the body of a sick person and enter the body of one who is well the usual Gateway by which they enter is through the mouth or [Music] nose how do germs make the trip from sick to well and thereby spread disease they may travel by one of several ways coughs and sneezes which are not protected send germs in a direct [Music] spray kissing also gives germs a direct short trip the public drinking cup is a favorite means of travel water as we find it in nature may have harmful germs in it if we drink such water without first boiling it we are giving these germs a free ride into our [Music] bodies milk is the best food there is for us but if it comes from unhealthy cows in Dirty Surroundings or is handled by people having a communicable disease it can become a good conveyor of germs rats and some insects particularly the fly are of great help to germs of certain diseases by carrying them from filth to the food we [Music] eat thus you see that germs have several ways of traveling from the sick to the well as individuals and as a community we can do many things to Halt this movement of germs and prevent the spread of [Music] disease a healthful community must have a safe water supply here we see sedimentation and chlorination a part of the process of water [Music] purification in rural areas a safe water supply requires a properly constructed well located on higher ground and at a considerable distance from the toilet the purity of a city's water supply is further protected by the sanitary treatment of sewage a series of processes renders the waste non-injurious to Health in rural areas the problem of disposal of human waste can be solved by the building of a proper type septic tank [Music] or if this is Impractical by building properly constructed sanitary [Music] toilets care in all steps of handling milk will do much to reduce milk born diseases [Music] cleanliness in the dairy healthy cows clean and healthy milkers sterilized buckets and cans so constructed as to keep out dust and flies all health to bring us safe milk so important in our lives pasteurization which does not take the place of all these other precautions is the one way to make sure that milk is safe anti-fly measures particularly the disposal of breeding places will help halt one of the most important ways by which germs travel tight fitting screens are effective not only against flies but also against [Music] mosquitoes we can do much to prevent the spread of disease by keeping away from those who are sick Common Sense tells us to stay away from indoor crowds whenever communicable diseases are prevalent [Music] always call the doctor early whenever a communicable disease is suspected early treatment May lessen the severity of the sickness and halt its further spread [Music] [Music] it is the duty of anyone suffering from a contagious disease to remain at home until the doctor feels it is safe for him to go out among other people some diseases such as small poox dfia and typhoid fever could be wiped out entirely if each and every one of us took advantage of the time proo protection offered by vaccination and preventive inoculation [Music] one of our best weapons in preventing the spread of disease is cleanliness which is particularly important when there is a communicable disease in the house [Music] certainly cleanliness should be observed in all places where food is sold or [Music] served all dishes used by the public should be sterilized [Music] our hands May pick up germs the one act of washing the hands after going to the toilet and before eating is an invaluable Health measure the use of paper cups instead of common drinking glasses will help keep down the transmission of disease [Music] we cannot keep all germs from entering our bodies but Wise Old Nature has placed within us Natural Forces capable of fighting the invading armies of disease the better the condition of our health the stronger this last line of defense against the Invader building up this resistance depends upon a well balanced diet which satisfies all the food requirements of our [Music] body outdoor exercise in the fresh air and sunshine [Music] at least six glasses of water [Music] daily and plenty of rest at least 8 hours of sleep every [Music] night every step we take to prevent the spread of disease means increased happiness and greater living efficiency for all of us [Music]