Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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"A good many of the rules go further, and prohibit spitting on the
"floor of 'public buildings,' as in New York City. Among public
places mentioned are 'public halls,' 'assembly rooms,' 'shops,' 'stores,'
" 'halls,' 'churches,' 'school houses,' 'railroad stations,' 'public places.'
"The Indiana rules forbid spitting on stairways. Some of the rules go
"further still and forbid spitting upon the sidewalk, as in the present
"rule in Boston, Cambridge, and Lynn, and in Cincinnati, Providence,
"Brookline, Mass., Springfield, Mass., Colorado Springs, and Rochester.
" 'rdered, That no person shall spit upon the floor of any
" 'public conveyance, shop, store, hall, church, school house,
" 'railroad station, or other public building in said town, or upon
" 'the steps of any of said conveyances or buildings, or upon the
" 'sidewalk (spitting into the gutter or street is not forbidden) of
" 'any public way in said town.'5
"These rules have very generally met the approval of the street
"railway and other transportation companies, and they have been very
"ready to post notices continuing the rule, and to assist in its enforce"ment.
Some of the rules, however, provide that the companies shall
" do this :
" 'Spitting upon the floors of public buildings and of railroad cars
" 'and of ferry boats is hereby forbidden, and officers in charge or
" 'control of all such buildings, cars and boats shall keep posted
" 'permanently in each public building and in each railroad car and
" 'in each ferry boat a sufficient number of notices forbidding
" 'spitting upon the floors, and janitors of buildings, conductors
" 'of cars and employes upon ferry boats shall call the attention of
" 'all violators of this ordinance to such notices.'8
"In Providence, the street railway company not only posted such
"notices in its cars, but furnished its conductors with slips on which was
"printed the rule, and the conductors were directed to hand one of the
"slips to every person seen violating the rule. In Minneapolis, cards
"containing the rule are printed and very generally distributed by the
"board of health. In Brookline, where spitting on the side walk is
"forbidden, the police carry copies of the law to show to offenders.
"In order to render compliance with this rule easier, it is provided in
"Colorado Springs as follows :
" 'Every owner, agent, lessee or occupant of any public hall or
" 'building shall provide the same with cuspidors in sufficient
" 'number to accommodate the necessities thereof. And any such
5Brookline, Mass., Report of Board of Health (1898), p. 10, Orders of the Board of Health, No. 16.
6New York City, Sanitary Code (1899), Sec. 194.