, 1859-03-11
A Word In Relation to Public Health

York; has been more than once remarked
New York sets the example and Chicago
exaggerates. We're this confined to things
which are in themselves co,omendal,te, We
might not complain Of the llabt of imitation
into which our people hare fallen: but we
are as ready to emulate the crimes and errors
Of tue metropolis as NC arc to improve upon
what her experience has proved to be- good.
We fear thut in one mat:er-Public Health
the neglect or uou-cbservancc Of all Whole
s'mc regulations by which the careful mny
lie protected from .4le consequences Of the
acts Of the culpable or careless, fdr which
New York has become 80 uuenriably dis
tfnguisbed, Chicago is pursuing pokcy that,
by md by, her PEOPLE will bitterly regret.
The manner in which our buildings are now
put np-most'y detached one from the otbcr
the width Of all our streets, and the preva-
lcncc Of III. lake winds, together with extent
Of ground covered by the population, give
the city comparative exemption from the
Jccimations by disease which arc 70 common
in New York; hut while felicitating our
today. 1t mist be remembered that in the
piles of filth and garbage which are suffered
to accumulate on uuoccupied lois, In
egirctcd cellars and Outh0uses, the
seeds oi disease AID death are hid
den, and that they will sooner or later
Cernjnatc and bear bitlcr frnit. II liz q mis-.
take TO suppose that the drainage Of stables,
out houses aud kitclcns eau be ,uGgrcd to
dow over and inpregnate the soil OF L vacant
lot for years ia succession aud theu he Ten.
dcrcd innocuous " covering tue surf.se with
few inches Of dirt. Tue delc!crious gases
generated in al such places, in alleys that
bavc been the rcccptacles Of The garbage
from the kitchens of whole block, under
eide walks aud III all such localities, cannot
Ike confined hy top dressing, HOE are they
ordinarily exhausted fn d season, no matter
bow warm the air or bright the sun. They
may hot he AZ rapidly evolved when the ma-
tcFial from ~b'c|s shcy are gcne1nt,d ii cor.
cred over with earth OF by brick block
hut lhc decomposition oi the animal and reg.
eta'lc matter Of which moat a. th. surface Of
Chicagos composed will continue With great
or or less rapidly, Varied by temperature, To-
ca|ity and moisture for years. Those, then,
WHO expect that they may set at l.Gance the |
ordinary laws Of health, and because they es-
cape death this year, boast that their exemp.
tlon from the consequences Of their act is
complete, must temper their boasts with the
facts which We set forth.
When the population Of the city vas small.
and when she had no sewerage aud no sani-
tary regulations, the prac,ice Of making the |
streets and alleys the plaeea Of deposit Of all !
unc'eau things was natural enough but since
the population has SO much Increased, and
since system Of sewerage is in part CON-
p'etcd, continuation Of the filthy and now
deadly Labit Il ~ rcprchen>ible that it ought |
not to be borne. Uu the part Of the authori- |
ties fex things art dcmauded:
Isl. An ordinance compelling owners Of |
tcncmeuts to make connections with The sew- |
CT Of The street upon which The tenement |
stands. This should he peremptory.
I'd. 4 more rigid sciutiuy and severer
punishment of all wbo do not comply With !
the existing rcgule:ions in regard to the
cleanliness aud hcalthfulness Of the premises
they occupy.
Sd. Better aud more stringent regulations
touching the removal Of garbage, dc., b7 the
scavengcrs in the oity's. and,
4th. The election of Board Of Health
that will dscharge their duties In such = VAT
the conditions which govern the ordinary
mortality OF cities may be better understood
and more generally observed.
. Nov certainly il the time to begin. The
consequences Of v ise aud discreet action can.
not be orerra:ed, whether coneidcrsd as affect
ing the. health OF the current year. or a.
heasing upon tue reputation for low com.
parativc ratio Of mortality, which all are
an1ions that Chicago should enjoy.