Enquire within upon everything

1722. Vermin. To the same cause must we impute the various kinds of vermin that infest the human body, houses, &c. These may generally be banished by cleanliness alone. 1723. Inducing Cleanliness. Perhaps the intention of Nature, in permitting such vermin to annoy mankind, is to induce them to the practice of this virtue. 1724. Cause of Fevers. One common cause of putrid and malignant fevers is the want of cleanliness. 1725. Incubation of Fevers. These fevers commonly begin among the inhabitants of close dirty houses, who breathe bad air, take little exercise, eat unwholesome food, and wear dirty clothes. There the infection is generally hatched, which spreads far and wide, to the destruction of many. Hence cleanliness may be considered as an object of public attention. It is not sufficient that I be clean myself, while the want of it in my neighbour affects my health as well as his own. 1726. Avoid Dirt. If dirty people cannot be removed as a common nuisance, they ought at least to be avoided as infectious. All who regard their health should keep at a distance, even from their habitations. In places where great numbers of people are collected, cleanliness becomes of the utmost importance. 1727. Tainted Air. It is well known that infectious diseases are caused by tainted air. Everything, therefore, which tends to pollute the air, or spread the infection, ought with the utmost care to be avoided. 1728. Clean Streets Necessary. For this reason, in great towns, no filth of any kind should be permitted to lie upon the streets. We are sorry to say that the importance of general cleanliness in this respect does by no means seem to be sufficiently understood.