=Concessions.= In carrying out this important work, the nurse sometimes becomes so enthusiastic that her common-sense gives way under the strain. She wishes to carry her point, without fully realizing the prejudices, ignorances, sometimes even the comfort, of the family she is dealing with. After a death, she comes upon a household in a most upset, distressed, and often irresponsible condition, and she must be very gentle and patient in her relations with them. She must accomplish what is necessary, without undue disturbance of their prejudices and feelings. For example: Orthodox Jewish people observe a mourning period of several days following death, during which time they wish to remain undisturbed. Fumigation should be postponed until this time is past. A few days’ delay will not injure the health of a family which has been exposed to infection for months. By thus respecting their religious customs, it will be possible to gain better co-operation as to cleaning and so forth; co-operation which would have been jeopardized by riding roughshod over their feelings and beliefs. Sometimes people raise objections because they have nowhere to go for the six hours required for fumigation, during which time they must leave the house. If there is no kindly neighbour to take them in, the nurse may arrange with a Settlement or other social agency, to give them shelter. We have often asked for hospitality in this way, and have always met a ready response. Sometimes, if a house is a large one, it is possible to have it fumigated in sections, a few rooms being done one day, a few the next. =Compulsory Cleaning.= In most communities, fumigation is compulsory. But there is no regulation whatever concerning the after-care of the premises—the cleaning, sterilization, and destruction of infective material. The relatively unimportant part is obligatory, while the essential part is optional. And that this essential part is done, and well done, depends almost entirely upon the teachings of the public health nurse. If, however, the family remains obdurate, refusing to clean and disinfect, nothing can be done. Since it is now generally acknowledged that fumigation falls far short of what it was once expected to do, we need laws making adequate disinfection compulsory; until such laws are enacted, we can only rely on the ability of the nurse to teach the necessity for cleaning and disinfecting. How valuable is this teaching may be gathered from these figures (_Report_, 1913, Tuberculosis Division of the Baltimore Health Department): “After death: houses cleaned, 80 per cent.; bedding, etc., either burned or sterilized, 70 per cent.” With adequate laws, the nurses would make even a better showing. CHAPTER XIV