CHAPTER II THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOUSEKEEPER
N promoting the sanitation of the house, the house-
keeper should realize that she is helping to solve important social and economic problems. The character of the place in which people live and spend more than half their time necessarily has a close relation to their social and economic efficiency. This is recognized:by sani- tary congresses, boards of health, and students of scien- tific and social questions, but it remains for the house- keeper in her home to put into practice those views which otherwise would remain unrelated to human welfare.
This responsibility affords an opportunity for very real service and should not be assumed lightly or without adequate preparation. Abundant knowledge, a fine power of observation and discrimination, and executive ability are qualities that are needed if the best results are to be secured. Hardly less important is an attitude of mind or poise which enables the housekeeper to be always mis- tress of herself and of the forces she directs, so that un- certainties, perplexities, and even alarms which she may experience will not needlessly disturb her household. In studying the principles of house sanitation, she will find that conditions are not always directly under her control. She must know how to act when such conditions arise so as to reduce to a minimum the harm which might come—in other words, she should be resourceful. She
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should at the outset have complete familiarity with the house in which she lives.
The purchaser of a house demands and is willing to pay for a clear legal title to the property; there should be the same demand and the same willingness to pay for a clear sanitary title, i.¢., assurance that the house con- forms in all respects to the best known laws of sanitation. A purchaser or tenant should have as perfect a guaranty of the latter as of the former.
The time must come soon when, in order to sell or let houses, the owners or agents will be required to show a certificate secured through expert examination regard- ing the perfect sanitary condition of each house. Already some wise landlords show such certificates. In general, however, the purchaser or tenant must look out for this himself, remembering that all expense incurred is for the safety, health, and possibly the lives of his wife and children and himself.
Wherever there is a Board of Health, an Inspector of Buildings, or a Board of Examiners, they may be con- sulted as to the laws of that town or city, since as yet there is little uniformity as to details. But, because the members of these boards are not always themselves ex- perts, and because the standard of public opinion does not as yet demand that they shall be, full reliance cannot, in all cases, be placed upon inspection by public authorities.
In houses already occupied, the heating and plumbing systems should be closely watched. If defect is suspected, any person in the house may make a complaint to the Board of Health and inspection will be made without expense.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOUSEKEEPER Ir
Given a house in perfect’ sanitary condition at the start, the housewife should know what is required to keep it in like condition. Barring accidents, cleanness and pure air will usually insure a condition of safety. She should then know what accidents are liable to happen and how to keep the entire house clean. The object of the following chapters is to give her this knowledge. The questions are so framed that an affirmative answer implies a satisfactory arrangement, while the question itself suggests a remedy, if the answer is negative.
In thus pointing out the sources of danger and the ideal standards of sanitation in the perfectly healthful house, it is not the intention unnecessarily to alarm or discourage the householder. The new sanitation, indeed, removes many of the terrors of former times. The aim is to urge the intelligent oversight of these matters, and to indicate the points requiring investigation, the methods of examination, and the practical remedies. 2
The conditions required under the two topics (Situa- tion and Plumbing) which open the subject may seem as difficult of realization, especially to those already settled in their homes, as they are important. But while the suggestions will be of greater value to those con- sidering the choice of a residence, it is believed that they will also show to those who assume the conditions of their houses to be beyond their control that the remedy frequently lies within their reach. The second topic (Plumbing) is necessarily somewhat technical; but it is hoped that the explanations in the notes will prove the difficulties to be more apparent than real, and that the principles will be easily understood.
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It is unavoidable that, in a subject so full of detail, some of the points should appear in themselves trivial, and the risk to health, incurred in ignoring them, very slight; but the sum of such trifles often makes the difference between physical vigor and weakness, and the risk, small as it is, is greater and more serious than that from fire, against which the householder always insures himself.
One of the most dangerous qualities of the unsanitary house is that it slowly and insidiously causes ill health and general languor, which incapacitate for sustained effort, and to which women, from their greater confinement to the house, are especially subject.
In conclusion, the householder must be reminded that it is not enough to secure right sanitary conditions; they must be maintained. This can be done only through the eternal vigilance of the housekeeper, who can thus, in‘ large measure, secure the two essentials of a happy home —good health and its attendant, good nature.
The following motto should be the basis of her efforts :
“Any invention intended to be a substitute for watch- fulness will prove a delusion and a snare.”