the ongoing battle against disease throughout history and highlighting the significant advancements made in public health through hygiene and sanitation. Tuttle introduces the concept of disease germs as the primary enemies of health, asserting that improving one's health is pivotal not only for personal well-being but also for the health of the community. He outlines three essential strategies for combating these germs: maintaining strong health, preventing germs from entering the body, and minimizing their presence in the environment. The introductory sections aim to prepare readers, particularly school children, to take an active role in their health and the health of those around them. (This is an automatically generated summary.)