The health conditions in the open country, judged by the standard of statistics, are quite as good as those of the city. The comforts of country life are as yet inferior, and it is hoped that this book may do something to advance the standard of living in the families into which it may enter.

H. N. OGDEN.
Ithaca, New York,
November 1, 1910.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
Vital Statistics of Rural Life
PAGES
Death-rate. Ideal death-rates. Death-rates in New York State. Accuracy of records. Effect of children. Death-rates of children. Small cities. Tuberculosis. Diphtheria, Influenza. Pneumonia. Old age [1]-24
CHAPTER II
Location of a House—Soil and Surroundings
Damp soils. Location of house. Objections to trees. Space between houses. Composition of soils. Cancer and soil conditions. Topography. Effects of cultivation. Made ground. Water in soil. Drainage. Ground water [25]-48
CHAPTER III
Construction of Houses and Barns With Reference to Healthfulness
Shutting out soil air. Position of outfall for drains. Dampness of cellar walls. Use of tar or asphalt. Dry masonry for cellar walls. Damp courses. The cellar floor. Cellar ventilation. The old-fashioned privy. Cow stables. Use of concrete [49]-67
CHAPTER IV
Ventilation
Effects of bad air. Modifying circumstances. Dangers of polluted air. Effect of changes in air. Composition of air. Organic matter in air. Fresh-air inlet. Position of inlet. Foul-air outlet. Size of openings. Ventilation of stables. Cost of ventilation. Relation of heating to ventilation [68]-89
CHAPTER V
Quantity of Water Required for Domestic Use
Modern tendencies. Quantity of water needed per person. Quantity used in stables. Maximum rate of consumption. Variation in maximum rate. Fire stream requirements. Rain-water supply. Computation for rain-water storage. Computation for storage reservoir on brook. Deficiency from well supplies [90]-107
CHAPTER VI
Sources of Water-supply
Underground waters. Ordinary dug well. Construction of dug wells. Deep wells. Springs. Extensions of springs. Supply from brooks. Storage reservoirs. Ponds or lakes. Pressure or head [108]-130
CHAPTER VII
Quality of Water
Mineral matter. Loss of soap. Vegetable pollution. Animal pollution. Well water. Danger of polluted water [131]-152
CHAPTER VIII
Water-works Construction
Methods of collection. Spring reservoirs. Stream supplies. Dams. Waste weirs. Gate house. Pipe lines. Pumping. Windmills. Hydraulic rams. Hot-air engines. Gas engines. Steam pumps. Air lifts. Tanks. Pressure tanks [153]-188
CHAPTER IX
Plumbing
Installation. Supply tank. Main supply pipe. Hot-water circulation. Kitchen sinks. Laundry tubs. Hot-water boiler. Water-back, wash-basin, bath-tub. Cost of plumbing installation. House drainage. Trap-vents. Water-closets [189]-207
CHAPTER X
Sewage Disposal
Definition of sewage. Stream pollution. Treatment of sewage on land. Surface application. Artificial sewage beds. Subsurface tile disposal. Automatic syphon. Sedimentation. Underdrains [208]-232
CHAPTER XI
Preparation and Care of Milk and Meat
Bacteria in milk. Effects of bacteria. Diseases caused by milk. Methods of obtaining clean milk. City milk. Dangers of diseased meat. The slaughter-house [233]-256
CHAPTER XII
Foods and Beverages
The human mechanism. Digestive processes. Teachings of the digestive operations. Balanced rations. Human appetite. Effect of individual habits. Cooking. Muscular and psychic reactions. Consumption of water. Condiments and drinks. Tobacco. The drug habit [257]-277
CHAPTER XIII
Personal Hygiene
Exercise. Clothing. Bathing. Mouth breathing. Eyes. Teeth. Sleep [278]-294
CHAPTER XIV
Theories of Disease
Effects of dirt. Blood resistance. Cell disintegration. Heredity. Age and sex. Occupation. Direct cause of disease. Parasites. Bacterial agencies. Antitoxins. Natural immunity. Chemical poisons. External causes [295]-313
CHAPTER XV
Disinfection
Disinfecting agents. Antiseptics. Deodorizers. Patented disinfectants. Disinfecting gases. Sulfur. Formaldehyde. Liquid disinfectants. Carbolic acid. Coal-tar products. Mercury. Lime. Soap. Heat. Dry heat. Boiling water. Steam. Drying, light, and soil [314]-331
CHAPTER XVI
Tuberculosis and Pneumonia
Tuberculosis. Individual resistance. Precautions by the consumptive. Cure of consumption. Pneumonia—the germ. Weather not the cause of pneumonia. Preventives in pneumonia. Infection of pneumonia [332]-348
CHAPTER XVII
Typhoid Fever
Cause of the disease. The bacillus. Methods of transmission of typhoid. Construction of wells in reference to typhoid. Milk infection by typhoid. Infection by flies. Other sources of typhoid fever. Treatment of typhoid fever [349]-363
CHAPTER XVIII
Children's Diseases
After effects. Preliminary symptoms. Contagiousness. Quarantine for scarlet fever. Measles. Characteristic eruption of measles. Whooping cough. Precautions against spread of whooping cough. Chicken pox [364]-376
CHAPTER XIX
Parasitical Diseases
Malaria. Mosquitoes and malaria. Elimination of mosquitoes. Limitation of mosquito infection. Yellow fever. Characteristics of the disease. Hookworm disease. Pellagra. Bubonic plague [377]-395
CHAPTER XX
Diseases controlled by Antitoxins
Smallpox. Value of vaccination. Characteristics of smallpox. Treatment of smallpox. Diphtheria. Cause of the disease. Production of diphtheria antitoxin. Symptoms of diphtheria. Rabies. Tetanus [396]-409
CHAPTER XXI
Hygiene and Law
Principle of laws of hygiene. Self-interest, the real basis of law. Quality of water. Regulations governing foods. Basis of pure food laws. Protection of milk. Laws governing quarantine [410]-425

LIST OF FIGURES

FIG. PAGE
1. Map of New York State [5]
2. Bad conditions about a dwelling [28]
3. Grading that turns water away from the house [42]
4. Modes of laying out drains [46]
5. Exterior wall-drains [50]
6. Interior cellar-drains [51]
7. Wall modes of making air-space [53]
8. Water-tight wall [54]
9. Rough-backed wall [56]
10. Even-backed wall [56]
11. Modes of making water-proof cellar walls [57]
12. Water-proofing of cellar walls [58]
13. Cellar-wall forms [65]
14. Letting in fresh air [78]
15. Ventilating device [79]
16. Ventilating device [80]
17. Ventilation by means of coal stove [82]
18. Coal-stove ventilation [83]
19. Coal-stove ventilation [84]
20. Outlets into walls [86]
21. Cow-barn ventilation [88]
22. How a pump works [105]
23. Air-lift pump [106]
24. Diagram of a spring [109]
25. Water finding its way from a hillside [110]
26. The sinking of wells [110]
27. Mode of sinking a well [114]
28. A well that will catch surface water [115]
29. A well properly protected [116]
30. A properly protected well [117]
31. Well-drilling apparatus [118]
32. Sinking a well by means of a water-jet [120]
33. An enclosed spring [122]
34. A spring extension [123]
35. A reservoir for home use [126]
36. Stream draining a privy [129]
37. Contamination of a creamery from the water supply [148]
38. A protected spring-chamber [157]
39. Concrete core in a dam [159]
40. Section of a flood dam [161]
41. Section of a flood dam [162]
42. A joint in tile pipe [167]
43. Windmill and water tank [170]
44. Installation of a ram [172]
45. Means of securing fall for hydraulic ram [174]
46. A hot-air engine [176]
47. A gas engine [179]
48. Pump operated by belt [180]
49. Duplex pump operated directly by steam [180]
50. Raising water by means of compressed air [182]
51. Wooden tank [183]
52. Iron tank [185]
53. Hand pump applied to air-tank [186]
54. Engine applied to air-tank [187]
55. Windmill connection with tank [188]
56. Construction of a wooden tank [193]
57. Hot-water attachment to the kitchen stove [195]
58. Enameled iron sink [197]
59. Enameled iron laundry tubs [198]
60. Leveling the drain [200]
61. Water-supply installation [202]
62. A trap [204]
63. Washout water-closet [205]
64. Washdown water-closet [205]
65. Syphonic closet [205]
66. Syphon-jet closet [206]
67. Sewage beds [217]
68. Plan of sewage beds [220]
69. Plan of subsurface irrigation field [224]
70. Section of "Miller" syphon [226]
71. Plan and section of a septic tank [227]
72. Section of a septic tank with syphon chamber [229]
73. Plan of sewage disposal for a single house [231]
74. School girl with adenoids [289]
75. Outdoor sleeping porch for tuberculous patients [343]
76. Mortality from pulmonary tuberculosis [344]
77. Spring infected by polluted ditch [356]