Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-09
PROPOSED HEALTH REGULATIONS.
Interesting Communication from the
Health CommissiOBer-FieWs of the Bal
t!HOre Medical Climb

ton as to the most effective to be adopted witt
| view Of aVerting a threatened or anticipated ap
Pearance OF epidemic disease in our midst during the
| approaching summer and the best means available
Tor Its control, should such misfortune as vista
ton Of cholera occur. With a view of ACCOMPLISHING
| these desirable ends. the efficient and energetic
Health Commissioner, DR.. Gerard Z. Morgan has for
some time been earnestly and diligently at work. as
| will be seen from the appended documents present
ed by him, on Wednesday, to the City Council They
| are OF such vital Importance as to command the
attention of every citizen and it is hoped the sugges-
tions made will be Immediately acted upon by the
| corporate authorities
HEALTH OFFICE, Baltimore, March 6, 1866.
| To the Honorable the Fjrst Brunch
Of the Cty Council:
by your honorable body. that the CommissiSner Of
Health be- and he is hereby requested to inform this
| branch Mt his earliest convenience what stems are
necessary to nut the city in good sanitary cOndi-
non and also If such steps are NOT imperativey de-
| l1anded at this time with view the warIug of
| OF elldemcs during the summer season." We beg
IeaVe 10 report that thorough cleanliness is the first
step to avert the approach Of any epidemic
sGo us any eHoil cOuld ne made available, the
street lorce was increased to the utmost capacity Of
the experimenting force provided BY the Council for
such purposes The effort maze late in the Fall to-
| gether with the continued working of the street
hands during the winter when possible to effect any
thing has placed the public thoroughfares in better
condition than usual at this season of the wear The
increased force will be retained until every probable
source Of disease shall have been removed. But the
efforts Of the au thorics on the nublic streets and
alleys will be useless, unless corresponding efforts
are made by each individual housckeeper upon their
| own premises
Immediately after receiving the appointment As
ConmlsSlpner of Health applied to several medi-
cal gentlemen, whose opinions are entitled to the
gnesG conSderatlon for their views on the subject
OF tygene with especial reference to the threatened
apprnach of cholera. We have received Il reply from
an ASSOCIATION known as the Baltimore Medical
Ciub, which covers tho entire ground Of your reso-
luton 0t inquiry and is Practical and reasonable
nat present IL entire. The names Of the medical
genTiemen attached TO it VIII give confidence to any
tn4ng Lkey may suggest.
G. +. Morgan. n ''4'O''' s''''FS 80 ls'''
Ny dear D"ct3T-I our letter Of the Ist instant
dated from the Health office, is receiyed and hai
members having duly considered the subject and as
| ihey nope, iuy understanding It's importance, beg
| uonS contained in your communication
After speaking Of the danger to be apprehended
| from an invasion Of Cholera Asphyxia here next
summer. you say: Il am soliciting the opiuions ~
the medical gentlemen of Baltimore as to HE course
to be adopted ny the Board of Health to avert it; or
II so unfortunate as to be visited By IT, the betmeans
| Of controlling it."
What sanitary measures, general and special
ms question can be conveniently divided into two
headings: ''' ~
!. What general sanitary measures should he
The rapid and hidden invasion Of this disease IS
one Of the srauscst phenomena, and hence TO stand
prepared against its sudden stroke is
rerSaly admitted that it may be rendered 10 great
extent imperative by'means of sanitary regulations
Two general measures to he adopted in the be
ginning without which but little else can be done
l. Appropriations of money to he placed ~ the dis
rosal OF the Board Of Health to carry out the special
measures.
2 To gain an active cooperation of the citizens.
through publications in the newspapers and by or
ganlzlng ward sanitary committees or q sanitary
peneEoiGhJ ponce as suggested by DR.. y Flint in his
a.e work on the Practice OF Medicine in order that
!he plans ana regulations adopted by some emanat-
ing from the ohrer OF the Board of Health to secure
an eEfrdDTdtR1FH cleanliness of tho city NAV he ear
rieu out chaertully promptly and efficiently Vita
out this cheerful cooperation Of the citizens IN.
best devised plans and most energetic exartions II
the o1cerS Will meet with such difficulties and oh
stGUc{lons as to seriously impair their usefulness
). Quarantine should be ciasSed with the general
measures 10 be adopted We are aware that but few
words coui| be said upon this subject without incur
ring danger of originating of those lengthy dis
Cussiohs whIeh nave heretofore ended without posi-
tVeiy detCrmlnlng the exact measure of its useful
HeEs % " ith the view OF gaining another opinion upon
son, OF Phadelphia, who, we knew had iahoriousIy
STUDIED the subject We take the liberty of cnr9sn
him to be used for this purpose We unanirnonsiy
agree with him that quarannes fail often hut III e
trial" 49,"
We have said above, an ertcao,yinayy ceanlincs,
OF thG city should be secured in advance, and the
specaI sinitTy measures to be adopted to secure til.
end we have endeavored to arrange below as far rs
possible in the order of their relative Importance:
+bnsn ioaI;t; ulnSalCIy PORTIONS oil tho city are
NOSE locallueS uHon the watcr-linc; beginning at
Light street or Eutaw street wharf in S0uth R9lti-
inciTdng the liI. ny CUuu! "GarI AT cantor
lots, the warehouses and their promises and the
streets and alleys inteTsecting them. These should
inc sgaen7nr ord Ei y = uieuS' 'hS' ana oy scrap
4 Inc entire line OF Jones Falls. from Madispa
sewers pnptvipg into il along itS vi ~ c'''is '
should be thoroughly drcdged and cIesT"o5 - 0' 80
secure tle 4dEanlageS wElch we now propose. theta
3 TIE Other nldart,ro.,rd Ul,I9 -, L15 t ~
fully cIoo,,HJ NJ st5 - SehetS s!icuIl De care
ings into tbeTn ~-'> A'ts 1I"c'u d. 'uo open
The Trivata aIInvs lr,,ry oF tl,oso ], -,
for nuba ~ o b S,,i,y UI iuesG unPaFe-l nave
ofthe several Il3otb oiinar5 49, i, IL 'na ei.o''
and dcpots Of filth EcrriTG tbsT, Ira md I'm
IS of equal Importance with the s9ro ,fftiaT - a.
subterranean sewers ~ -
s. The laws reaniaiipo the constr,,,l;, ., ol, ,t,
practical manner of building the siul- or nrivies |
the city are both so cyGoetlipgir deiaci;ya fbr
in the acyS and smaller streets as well as in la
older and more crowded portions Of fhe city TyheTa
the yards are contracted the naitscols eHa1ations
from. these Ilurh neglected tlancs t, - 60 n riy~e d.
trimental TO health and com lorl. Gnf Er;r 10 h..
months even in seasons Of average beaItb Tho cfiH
yiurl from them is almost insupportable The siul
pryigs should be cleansed taOrOuchlv both bef,a
and after the warm season
This source of unheaIthfuiness and o,,fi
be easily conveniently and chearIy oI,viafaJ -,
means Of deodorizing agents. such as Iry Chl0r' IL
Lime. Suphate Of Iron or Solution of Pnrmangnnaf
of Potash. provided a KNOWLEDGE of fh~ir ITn,,. -
management existed, and they were useJ with car,
and a$siduy Official cards generally distTb9ei tit S.
throughout the city from your offices Iaico fir ~
special deod0rapts and their costs fnratSor SS,;t
precise directions for their use might he Of rna+ s
vice during the corninp hot se9srr - Va 7--' So
b. On the suburbs Of the city. lnanuf9ct,ri, psrab
hshments, and places OF deposJ Tor night and sire
soil, and garbage demand much aitcutinn nj neri i
critical the one antciDatcd The ur3ciC1 que.
tUn may be asked, Ia. what way can 'the naugerfr.
emanatiOns from these unavoidable tIcDngiIs Of ..
caying animal and vegetable matter he Ira,-art.I
from escaping into the alnspbcrc nj ;ls ri-,- ~
reply is X cen all such ,len0sts sulcitntI[ r1-c-
with coal ashes the gas-absgrhiug mower of which +:
considered amply sufficient for the needed protectior
In connection with this important poinf chag.g.
should be made in the kind Of cart used in the trI,.
pOrtatiou of garbage. Those now In use leave no IN
significant portion OF their load in the street and IN
the air, before arriving az thor place Of deposit The
garbage carts used in Boston are chpac;0uS water
tight and closely covered. similar ans sb,IIra ~
used here this sumner if possible
Z, ARRANGEMENTS should DO made bcforebg3i
WILh Ihe owners OF bong-duSt factories. the ware
mouse OF the Hide and IGllow Association, places
"heFe old clothes and rags collected in lar.s
thoroughly ccaused; and as the[. rS egaa
b EbensFe TO- those Obliged to live in their neighbo
noCd, II would be well to have them suspended G
dIe op9Id'loLs; OF removed from inc clLy possible
auElng n me coming summer IN order to insure a.
bJ I a ut$Ite % cH,in tlnGsS, lroEer onr ~
"" 8 ~ tHG "eeHiy iuSi,: glIn.'
- ",'"ueI @ 80 ;ii III - i"H 'IelF s'
eol!oIIS I w Wy % t ,i'4y 'uosv dJ SHe Ae"t
+ od % ;tb Iit, ,IJ al I - III @ L iTleu shu}i
tbcir an tboritv for the II suomi TOD
The second question on which ,,n,I % sSi;o;t nv ;:
is: w an 'i'i'''.'
What measures are hest sdan+ad N ,,it;,o.o a..
IL -"