Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-10
aim aud Amrriean.
c.UsES OF SICKNESS IN DWELLINGS

DIR. +. NJ. Snow, health officer of Proyi-
denoe, r.. l., writes as follows on this subject:
In my opinion the cellars under our
houses are more often the causes of disease
than is generally supposed. In their best
condition, unless thoroughly ventilated
which is rarely the case, they contain
a damp, stagnant atmosphere, which is more
or less injurious 10 health.
In many cellars, even Of the better class
of houses, through the carelessness of SER
wants. filth is allowed to accumulate, often
containing bones, scraps of vegetables, and
swill, which is very injurious TO health. |
am inclined TO believe that one Of the chief
causes of typhoid fever among the farming
population of New England is the presence
and decomposition Of vegetable matter ia
the cellars. II is well known that this div
ease prevails n6seh more severely and more
fatally in country, where everything
would seem TO be conducive 10 health than
in cities, where there is usually less vege-
table matter kept in the cellars
First Of ALL then, if we would prevent
cholera and diseases, let every householder
examine his cellar. Remove every particle
of filth. Remove every particle of filth at
once; provide as much ventilation as pos
sible, and keep il up constantly; cement the
bottom and walls Of cellars SO as to keep Out
all water and in some localities where the
water cannot be kept out, the only measure
which will insure safety is TO fill up the
cellar with clean sand.
Above all, let every cellar be thoroughly
whitewashed with fresh lime before the first
of June. This is most important. The
whitewash makes the cellar lighter, and the
lime destroys mould, mildew, and every
variety of fungi, which vegitate in dark
damp places, some of which are supposed 10
be the specific causes Of disease.
Remember, for cellars-remove filth, make
them dry, ventilate, and thoroughly white
wash. Do not wait for notice from the su-
perintendent Of health, but do it at once.
If not, the notice will be sent, and, 50 far as
possible, will be followed by action.
SINKS.
There is 70 more dangerous cause Of sick
ness in houses than the odor from cesspOOls
and drains coming through the pipes in
sinks Any sink which allows this foul
air 10 escape is dangerous nuisance, and
should be abated at once Fever, cholera
infantum, diarrhGa, cholera morbus and
Asiatic cholera may all have their exciting
canse in such sinks
Many Of the sinks in the better class Of
houses are dangerousin this respect; but what
shall we say of these arrangements in the
cheapest class Oftenement houses? In many Of
these houses a square wooden spout leads
from the sink, on the outside of the house.
into a cesspool imperiectly covered. The
wooden spout is seldom water-tight, often
decayed, and the spout, and the house and
ground near il, are saturated with decOm-
posing soap-suds and grease Every time
the sink is used the liquid filth of the cess
pool is stirred up, and the death dealing odorI
have free passage through the large spouts
into the house, rnd generally into the room
occupied by the family. Asiatic cholera
luxurates in such houses, and a whole host
Of other diseases find in them their appro-
pirate nourishments and abiding places.
Let every sink, drain and cesspool be COW
cred air-tight, and let every pipe and spout
for conveying slop water be made perfectly
water-tight Then let every sink in these
houses, and in all houses, be provided with
traps 10 prevent entirely the escape of foul
air from the pipes into houses.
SLEEPING ROOMS.
One-third Of our existence, more or less,
is spent in sleeping rooms, and yet, rs a
general thing, these rooms are the smallest
and most poorly ventilated of any in our
houses. A large class of our population
live in boarding houses, and many in pri-
vate dwellings spend their nights IN rooms
with not more than one-half or two-thirds
the cubic feet of space that are allowed TO the
inmates of our prisons, and with none of
the ventilation which is considered essen
tial TO all well-constructed prisons. The ef-
fects upon health are evil, and that contin-
ualy.
In some Of the streets in this and other
cities, in the warm still mornings o. summer,
as the windows of the crowded houses are
opened, the whole atmosphere is perceptbly
impregnated with the impure air which is
sues forth from the sleeping rooms of the in
habitants.
The paper covering the walls Of sleeping
rooms is often aserious nuisance. It's porous,
absorbing, and retaining impurities from
the air; the paste used becomes moist and
undergoes a fermentation producing mould,
mildew, and poisonous fungi, which, as the
paper becomes old and broken, send forth
carnations producing fevers and other dis
eases. This evil is increased tentold, and
made tenfold more dangerous, when sleeping
rooms are occupied by sick persons. Rooms
in which there have been cases of sickness,
and particularly Of fever, should never be
used until the walls have been thoroughly
cleaned and thoroughly witewashed with
fresh Stacked lime.
1t were better If our sleeping rooms had
no paper on the walls and much less furni-
ture in them, and il the walls were frequent
ly washed or whitewashed. With special
reference to the prevention of cholera, slecp-
ing rooms should never be on the lower
floor of our houses. The poison which causes
cholera, like all malariOus poisons, is low
and groveling. 1t keeps near the ground,
and particularly in the damp air Of the night
IL often creeps into the lower rooms of a
house and into Easements, when il does not
int 10 IL,
sleeping on the lower floors Of houses when
possible
Sleeping rooms are generally opened to
air in day time for a short period; but not
sufficiently. They should be freely exposed
for longer periods 10 the air and TO the sun
light. so as 10 remove the moisture which
collects on the wall in the night, and to de-
stroy and prevent the formation of mould and
mildew.
For sleeping rooms ventilate, ventilate,
ventilate; permit no filthy paper and paste
ON the walls; whitewash frequently, and give
them the benefit of free air and sunlight in
the day time, as much as possible.
GENERALLY.
In every portion of our dwellings there il
defective ventilation, and free and con-
slant change of the atmosphere is too often
unknown. Sunlight is practically banished
from too many OF our houses by curtains,
and blinds, and shutters and shade-trees
and instead of its life-giving presence we
have damp, dark, mould-producing at
mosphere. at all times injurious 10 health,
and in time Of an epidemic especially dan
gerous. In houses and rooms which are
kept closed and dark during the sultry heat
of summer, microscopic vegetable fungi are
produced in large quantities, which, II is
believed, are often the cause of serious dis
eases.
Our advice is, then, generally, TO Danish
shade-trees from the immediate vicinity of
houses open the blinds and windows, let in
the sunlight and the air, and obtain at all
events constant change Of atmosphere in
the house For the prevention of disease
and especially 10 prevent the cholera, this is
of the utmost importance
When cholera is present, and the atmos-
phere As hot and damp As it usually is at
such times, a most important measure is TO
build fires, particularly at night, in differ
ent parts of th house, and if possible in
open iire-places.
The dryncss Of the rooms and the circula-
ton of the air thus produced are, i'm my |