=Diphtheria= and =Consumption=.—Special care should be taken to avoid inhaling the breath of the patient, as the diseases are communicated through the secretions of the nose, throat, and lungs. The matter coughed up should be received on rags and immediately burned. =Scarlet Fever= and =Measles=.—These are communicable during convalescence, as well as during the illness. The body of the patient should be anointed twice a day with sweet-oil, lard, or vaseline, containing ten grains of carbolic acid or thymol to the ounce. This should be continued until all bran-like scaling of the skin is at an end. Before again associating with unprotected persons, the patient should have several complete ablutions, including thorough washing of the hair with soap or borax; and none of the clothing worn for several days before the disease declared itself should be again used until thoroughly disinfected, and ventilated in the open air several days (New York State Board of Health circular). =Typhoid Fever=, =Asiatic Cholera=, and =Dysentery=.—Poison contained in discharges from the bowels. Particular attention should be paid to the disinfection of such discharges by the zinc or copperas solution. =Yellow Fever.=—Poison possibly contained in discharges from stomach and bowels, but requiring special conditions for development outside the body before it can affect other persons. Excreta should be immediately disinfected. Germs may be carried long distances in =fomites= (clothing, bedding, and other porous substances), and disinfection of such articles must be very thorough. =Typhus Fever.=—No visiting to be allowed. When there is small-pox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, or typhus fever in a house, immediate attendants on the sick should not leave the house without a change of outside clothing. _General Precautions for those entering a Sick-Room._ Never enter a sick-room with an empty stomach, or when very tired. Never eat or drink anything that has been long exposed to the air of the sick-room. Breathe through your nose, and keep your mouth shut except when you are talking. CHAPTER IV. FOOD. How to distinguish a good article of food from a bad one, when both are in their natural state, is within the province of the cook-book. In this place will be pointed out only the adulterations of food, and those methods of detecting them which can be used by householders who have no special knowledge of the instrumental and chemical means which are generally necessary. Adulterations are of two kinds: those which injure the consumer, and those which simply cheat him. The following details are chiefly taken from the New York State Board of Health report for 1881-’82, the name of the analyst being in each case appended.