urselves and others.
Nothing will inspire and stimulate youth more to achieve, to be clean in
mind and body, and to succeed, than the knowledge that he is loved, and
trusted, and has the implicit confidence of parents and of brothers and
sisters. His pride is awakened, he would hate to fail, or to disappoint
them, so he makes a conscientious effort to be worthy and to succeed.

The mothers are at the helm. They must be the harmonizing factor in the
home, and they must bring their human ships into safe harbors. The
storms and the battles of life will only unite the crew together if the
"captain" is the right "man" in the right place.

CHAPTER XXVIII

"All that I know, I owe to my mother."

Abraham Lincoln.

HOW WE CATCH DISEASE

We Catch Disease--How Germs Enter the Lungs--How Germs Work in
the Body--The Function of the White Blood Cell--How an Abscess
Is Formed--The Evil Habit of Spitting in Public
Places--Sunlight and Germs--Why It Is Necessary to Open
Windows--Facts About Tuberculosis--The Tendency to Disease--The
Best Treatment for Tuberculosis--Consumption Is a Preventable
and a Curable Disease--When Delay Is Dangerous--What to Eat and
Wear in Hot Weather--Scientific Dressing--Drink Plenty of
Water--What to Drink When Traveling.

A simple explanation of how we "catch" disease may be interesting and
profitable. Let us take, for example, a case of consumption. In order to
"catch" consumption it is necessary to breathe into our lungs the germ
of consumption.

How do we "catch" these germs?

If a consumptive patient spits or expectorates on the street, or on the
floor of a railroad car, or in a room, or store, or theater, after a
time the spittle becomes dry, and because of the wind or a breeze which
may be caused by opening or shutting a door, or it may be the skirts of
women walking about, the dried sputum in which the germs are becomes
mixed with the dust of the air. If we happen to be around, just at the
particular time when the germs are blown into the air, we may breathe
into our lungs enough of them to produce consumption. If we are in good
health, and if we do not happen to get too large a dose of the bacteria
at one time (and that is only a matter of luck), we can overcome them,
as will be shown shortly. If, however, we are not in good health, if we
are just recovering from some serious or depressing dis