THE KITCHEN Two aspects of the kitchen demand our attention. The first of these is the care devoted to the temporary preservation of perishable food, either before or after cooking. Cold is the means universally employed for this purpose. Where not employed bacterial decomposition may make certain food stuffs unsafe for consumption, especially milk for infant feeding. The employment of ice in insulated boxes or cabinets commonly known as refrigerators is very common. In the absence of ice, such food is sometimes suspended in wells, thereby jeopardiz ing both the food and the well, or similarly suspended in pits dug especially for this purpose. Such means will temporarily retard bacterial decomposition until the food is consumed. It must be borne in mind that the coldest situation in a refriger ator is below the ice. In the absence of these facilities, some advantage may be secured by placing the vessel obtaining the perishable food in another vessel which in turn is placed in a vessel containing water. Coarse cloths are placed over the
inner vessel extending down into the water. The whole is then set in a position where air currents will cause the rapid evapora tion of the water in the cloth, which rises by capillarity.
A second point is the disposal of the kitchen refuse or gar bage. This should be carefully drained to free it from all water, and then wrapped in a paper before being placed in the garbage can. Or if a collecting service is not available, it may be burned in a coal or wood stove, buried, or fed to chickens or swine. It should never be deposited upon the surface of the ground close to the house, as it attracts flies and rats and the sour odor which develops during decomposition is very annoy ing. Toilet and washing facilities should be conveniently situated to the kitchen, especially where servants are employed.