New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-20

were found 20 have lived is considered such as 10
damp cellars De prived Of the rays u The SUD, and
destitute Of ventilation, or in an immigrant board.
ing houac, inordinately crowded., where numbers
sleep in one room to an amount that is incredible
to auch as have not seen it themselves or in hab-
itatiors permanently occupies by paupers, crammed
with people, without any consideration on the sub.
ject Of slowing them than ouch as ID suggested BY
the cupidity Of their immediate landlord.
But this sudden eruption Of disease ought rot TO
be the means whereby the fatal spot is to be dis
covered II it be possible the condition tending
to such result ought TO be aacertsined before IL
OCCURS and the suitable means applied Tor ifS re-
moval If the importance of preventive measures
ia ad nitted, if then becomes obligatory - use them
in the onIy effscaiye way in which they can De
used-tbst Ia by discovering and removing an
causea. both external and domestic. A partial
knowledge of the causes that promote tne eAsen
sion of pestilential diseases must evidently lead
to very imperfect measures of relief, and must re-
snt in the discovery of the centers OF disease only
bv the appearance of the disease ITSELF always
emo late for any other modes OF relief than those
that are of necessity exceedingly limited in their
operation.
A strictly scientific supervision is the only me-
thod by which ssnatory laws OF any efficiency can
be enforc. d. The same meana that have detected
the violation of the physical laws az cause oil fne
great spread Of disease should De employed IN tne
detection Of such as are still infringed that they
may be, ky anticipation, known, and measures
psed TO preserve them inviolate. There can be no
really efficient mode Of doing this but by commit
ting il to medical men; either appointing young
members of the profession az health wardens in
the mode that has already been urged upon the
Board OF Health or the establishing sanatory
com mission to investigate closely into the existing
causes of municipal diseases, and obtaining from
it elaborate reports to point out the proper way
TOR their removal, with prompt action wherever
they are discovered.
Sewerage, drainage, and general cleanliness
with the proper regulation Of streets for ventila'
tons have accomplished an immense amount Of
good, but experience in our City during the past
year has shown that they have not accomplished
all there was needed for the prevention and reno
val of disease. What Other causes still remain ID
g subj CT for scientific investigation a'on to asoer
tain. The number Of cubic feet of air required TO
the support OF an individual being known, the fact
that ten timeB the number are packed In place
to use it, and the mode in which some buildings
are erected, az if Intentionally to prevent all reno
walton OF air, even for small number, and the
startling fact that $500 live in celars with no
other rooms exhibit causes Of diseases which all
the gcavengers in the world and torrent OF Gro
ton W ter could lot remove Who are the proper
Al. IS T1Ipifa
TO produce an alteration in the air from liiegiv-
ing agent to one replete with the poison of death
but those whoEe study has been the cause OF dis
ease and whose daily business it is to apply meana
for Sheir removal or mitigation? To protect the
City from the introduction Of disease from without,
medical men are always aeected as the only per
sons competent TO discharge the duty and are con-
sttuted the sole judges Of the state Of ship from it's
crowd OF paiaengers-when positive disease does
NOT exist--to decide whether 1t is propar TO allow
the vessel to come into port, and shcse only whose
conntant occupation it liz to investigate the cGusea
and nature of diaeageS ere the beat judges OF suoh
az are in as W ell as around our Relli ga.
Closely connected with this watchful prevention
OF disease in citieg is the Registration Of BIRTHS and
Deaths. There exists law Of this State upon this
important subject but fIom an absence of pro
per and efficient detail n the mode Ct m aaing the
returIs, 1t remains imperative; no information
having been as yet obtained under its provisions
II is confidently hoped that ut the next meeting OF
the Legislature such notifications will be made az
will accomplish the objecta go long aud ardently
desired.
The extended observations and companion in
Great Britain, under the efficient Registration Law
for many years in force, prove TO demonstration
what was partially known from popular expert
cree, that many diseases are uniformly more ma
epans when the air is the most atagnans, and that
dseasea Of another class Immediately appear up.
on reduction Of temperature below certain
average. So accurate indeed has the latter
cause been shewn to exist that when the thor
mometer indicates: a certain degree OF continued
low temperatures, an almost positive estimation OF
the number Of deashE can be made; theresuIt de.
rived from ten years accumulated observation and
record always being the same. Here we have
Oh explanation of the great amount Of sickness in
damp cellaru. Beside the reduction of tempera-
ture below q certain average being productive ol
disease. we have another cause In the rise OF TEN
peralure above this average thie, in our bot gum
mers, ia always attended with increased sickness,
and continued observation would bring the matter
81 in the other extreme, to almost mathemstlcal
accuracy. There are now in England forty meteo'
rolceieal observers engaged in different sections o.
the eou1try, who make their returns to the RogiH
trsr General and in addition TO the fact mentioned
above, there hes also been exhibited from thsse
sources one much more remarkable; that Of q Pc
fiodical increase and dimiauIion OF the average
temperature OF a season closely indicating that
means may, in anticipation, be adopted to GER
tain extent against the action Of auch causes.
Provisions for complete repatriation Of the