XII. Explain why the following common beliefs are erroneous or unfounded:

  1. That a damp cellar causes diphtheria.
  2. That night air is harmful.
  3. That one should "stuff a cold" and "starve a fever."
  4. That almost everyone needs a tonic in the spring.
  5. That the health of one's family would be endangered if a tuberculosis hospital were placed on the next block.
  6. That clearing up the back yard will protect the children of a family from infantile paralysis.
  7. That odorless and tasteless water is necessarily free from harmful germs.
  8. That all children should have the children's diseases, and have them as early as possible.
  9. That boils are a benefit to the system by removing impurities from the blood.
  10. That tomatoes cause cancer.
  11. That consumption is inherited.
  12. That dirt breeds disease.
  13. That diseases come up drains.
  14. That if a teaspoonful of medicine does you good, a tablespoonful will do you more good.
  15. That instinct teaches a mother how to care for her baby.
  16. That low heeled shoes, though suitable for boys and men, cause broken arches in women and girls.
  17. That in one's own case, the rule that everyone needs regular meals, regular hours of sleep, and daily exercise out of doors, may be safely violated.

APPENDIX

The New York City Department of Health has kindly permitted us to include the following circulars of information issued by the Division of Child Hygiene.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Instructions to Parents Regarding the Care of the Mouth and Teeth.

The physical examination of school children shows that in many instances the teeth are in a decayed and unhealthy condition.

Decayed teeth cause an unclean mouth. Toothache and disease of the gums may result.

Neglect of the first teeth is a frequent cause of decay of the second teeth.

If a child has decayed teeth, it cannot properly chew its food. Improperly chewed food and an unclean mouth cause bad digestion, and consequently poor general health.