A sensible lunch box, sanitary and compact.
If you eat your lunch on the street near your school, remember not to scatter refuse. Paper, bits of lunch, and the like scattered on the streets around your school show lack of school spirit and lack of civic pride. Let us learn above all other things to be good citizens.
Dust exhausts on grinding wheels protect lungs of the workmen.
Inspection of Factories, Public Buildings, etc.—It is the duty of a city to inspect the condition of all public buildings and especially of factories. Inspection should include, first, the supervision of the work undertaken. Certain trades where grit, dirt, or poison fumes are given off are dangerous to human health, hence care for the workers becomes a necessity. Factories should also be inspected as to cleanliness, the amount of air space per person employed, ventilation, toilet facilities, and proper fire protection. Tenement inspection should be thorough and should aim to provide safe and sanitary homes.
Inspection of Food Supplies.—In a city certain regulations for the care of public supplies are necessary. Foods, both fresh and preserved, must be inspected and rendered safe for the thousands of people who are to use them. All raw foods exposed on stands should be covered so as to prevent insects or dust laden with bacteria from coming in contact with them. Meats must be inspected for diseases, such as tuberculosis in beef, or trichinosis in pork. Cold storage plants must be inspected to prevent the keeping of food until it becomes unfit for use. Inspection of sanitary conditions of factories where products are canned, or bakeries where foods are prepared, must be part of the work of a city in caring for its citizens.
Care of Raw Foods.—Each one of us may coöperate with the city government by remembering that fruits and vegetables can be carriers of disease, especially if they are sold from exposed stalls or carts and handled by the passers-by. All vegetables, fruits, or raw foods should be carefully washed before using. Spoiled or overripe fruit, as well as meat which is decayed, is swarming with bacteria and should not be used.
An interesting exercise would be the inspection of conditions in your own home block. Make a map showing the houses on the block. Locate all stores, saloons, factories, etc. Notice any cases of contagious disease, marking this fact on the map. Mark all heaps of refuse in the street, all uncovered garbage pails, any street stands that sell uncovered fruit, and any stores with an excessive number of flies.
In addition to food inspection, two very important supplies must be rendered safe by a city for its citizens. These are milk and water.
