What conditions weaken the body so it will easily suc- cumb to disease? Living in damp, sunless, ill-ven- tilated, dusty rooms, eating badly cooked food, and either too little or too much food, lack of exercise, and neglect- ing to keep the body free from waste products of diges- tion, lack of sufficient pure drinking water, and regular bathing. Why is it more sanitary to have clothing boiled when it is washed ? Because there may be bacteria in the secre- tions of the body, and boiling destroys them. Are there bacteria or microbes on wash cloths and tooth brushes? Unless they are thoroughly cleaned. Wash- cloths should be hung in an airy, light place ; in the sun- shine if possible, and should be boiled often. Are washcloths left where they do not dry thoroughly and have a bad odor fit to use? No ; if a clean washcloth has to be carried damp in traveling, sprinkle borax over it before rolling up, and it will keep sweet all day or longer, even in hot weather. How should tooth brushes be treated occasionally? Soak in a strong solution of borax, or boracic acid. 30 Efficiency in Home Making Is it well to leave sweepings and soiled dustcloths around? No; the sweepings should be burned, and the dust cloths washed. Why does the escape pipe of the refrigerator and the kitchen sink need to be carefully cleaned? Because it will otherwise become covered with a mass of slimy bac- terial growth ; there will also be many germs of putrefac- tion. Are closets in old houses that are damp and dark suit- able places to keep food ? No ; the woodwork and plaster are often so filled with mold spores or seeds that are floating in the air, and will quickly cause the food to mold if the air is warm and moist. What should be done to make an old house more sani- tary? It should be thoroughly dusted, scrubbed and cleaned, whitewashed, painted and disinfected. Will dust plants injure the furnishings of the house? They will cause mildew on clothing, books, etc., and may develop so far as to destroy them, and they injure the health of the occupants of the house. Where are bacteria generally found? Clinging to dust particles, that is why dust is so dangerous in the home. In most cases what causes food to spoil? It is the growth of the little invisible bacteria, or plants that have been carried onto or into it through ordinary dust. Are there any good bacteria ? Yes ; they are found in great numbers in the •soil where they lay hold of every particle of dead animal and vegetable matter and convert it into harmless inorganic matter. There are other harm- less bacteria that give flavor to cheese and butter, and others also that have a high commercial value. Are not candies for sale on the street, and left exposed to the air in department stores, laden with bacteria too? They are and should never be eaten. Some day we may become sufficiently civilized not to have any of our foods exposed for sale in places where they become laden with bacteria and disease germs ; but until then let us protect ourselves by not buying those foods when they cannot be washed, and see that those that can be are well washed. Efficiency in Home Making 31 LABOR SAVING DEVICES THAT ARE WORTH WHILE.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

What conditions weaken the body so it will easily succumb to disease? Living in damp, sunless, ill-ventilated, dusty rooms, eating badly cooked food, and either too little or too much food, lack of exercise, and neglecting to keep the body free from waste products of digestion, lack of sufficient pure drinking water, and regular bathing. Why is it more sanitary to have clothing boiled when it is washed ? Because there may be bacteria in the secretions of the body, and boiling destroys them. Are there bacteria or microbes on wash cloths and tooth brushes? Unless they are thoroughly cleaned. Washcloths should be hung in an airy, light place ; in the sunshine if possible, and should be boiled often. Are washcloths left where they do not dry thoroughly and have a bad odor fit to use? No ; if a clean washcloth has to be carried damp in traveling, sprinkle borax over it before rolling up, and it will keep sweet all day or longer, even in hot weather. How should tooth brushes be treated occasionally? Soak in a strong solution of borax, or boracic acid. 30 Efficiency in Home Making Is it well to leave sweepings and soiled dustcloths around? No; the sweepings should be burned, and the dust cloths washed. Why does the escape pipe of the refrigerator and the kitchen sink need to be carefully cleaned? Because it will otherwise become covered with a mass of slimy bacterial growth ; there will also be many germs of putrefaction. Are closets in old houses that are damp and dark suitable places to keep food ? No ; the woodwork and plaster are often so filled with mold spores or seeds that are floating in the air, and will quickly cause the food to mold if the air is warm and moist. What should be done to make an old house more sanitary? It should be thoroughly dusted, scrubbed and cleaned, whitewashed, painted and disinfected. Will dust plants injure the furnishings of the house? They will cause mildew on clothing, books, etc., and may develop so far as to destroy them, and they injure the health of the occupants of the house. Where are bacteria generally found? Clinging to dust particles, that is why dust is so dangerous in the home. In most cases what causes food to spoil? It is the growth of the little invisible bacteria, or plants that have been carried onto or into it through ordinary dust. Are there any good bacteria ? Yes ; they are found in great numbers in the •soil where they lay hold of every particle of dead animal and vegetable matter and convert it into harmless inorganic matter. There are other harmless bacteria that give flavor to cheese and butter, and others also that have a high commercial value. Are not candies for sale on the street, and left exposed to the air in department stores, laden with bacteria too? They are and should never be eaten. Some day we may become sufficiently civilized not to have any of our foods exposed for sale in places where they become laden with bacteria and disease germs ; but until then let us protect ourselves by not buying those foods when they cannot be washed, and see that those that can be are well washed. Efficiency in Home Making 31 LABOR SAVING DEVICES THAT ARE WORTH WHILE.

Efficiency in home-making and first-aid to good cooking