The dangerous ones seldom live long under ordinary
conditions, dying without proper food, moisture, temperature, and other
requirements. Most cannot tolerate air and sunlight. Soap and water kill or
remove them. Extreme methods of precaution are usually useless as well as
unnecessary. Germicides, sprays, and disinfectants either do not reach germs
they are in- tended for or provide only very brief protection, or are too weak
to kill germs, on the one hand, or too strong to be used safely on the skin and
other tissues.
How about household disinfectants? Many are advertised.
Personally, we feel there may be a risk that such disinfectants will be used as
substitutes for rather than aids to cleanliness.
Sprinkling or spraying a little disinfectant around makes everything
smell so antiseptic that there may be a temptation to go easy on soap and
water. Fumigation after some illnesses used to be required by law.
Scientific
studies, however, show it is unnecessary and ineffective, except for destroying
mice and vermin, which can be destroyed more effectively in other ways.
Fumigation was often used as a substitute for thorough cleaning. Soap and
water, fresh air, and sunlight are the best aids in destroying germs.
(Incidentally, it is probably worth mentioning here that books and magazines
handled by sick people are not considered contagious.) Take reasonable
precautions for keeping germs away, keep your body and its defenses up to par,
and you can expect to do quite well in the battle against infectious disease.
Preventive Mental Care In this part, you will find covered a
wide range of subjects relating t emotion and disease. We discuss the close
relationship between body and mind; the psychosomatic disorders; also, the
normal personality and its range of variation. The neuroses and psychoses are
described along with new, as well as tried, methods of treating them. There is
an important section on depressions.
Also, we provide some advice on how to
prevent you from becoming" stale" or developing mental fatigue. Finally,
beginning on page 368, we attempt to show the dozens of important factors that
go into the molding of secure, poised human beings; these range from nursing,
toilet training, and weaning of the infant to problems of adolescence, work,
marriage, and then menopause, aging, retirement, chronic illness, and fatal
illness. It is of great importance, we believe, that you understand and analyze
all of these factors in order to help prevent emotional disturbances in
yourself and in your children.
