Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-05-04


are more often the cause of disease than is
generally supposed. In their best condition,
uh'ess thoroughly ventilated, which is rarely
'he case, they contain damp, staguant At
mosphere, which is more or less injurious 10
health,
In many cellars even OF the better class
ot houses, through the carelessness of SER
wants NTH is allowed to accumulate, often
containing bones scraps of vegetables, and
swlil, 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 in
the cellars. 1t is well known that this dis
ease prevails much more severely and more
latally IN the country, where everything
would seem to be conducive to health, than
m cities, where there is usually less vegeta-
Die matter kept in the cellars.
First OF all, then, il we would prevent
eholeIa ana diseases, let every householder
examine his cellar Remove every particle
OF NTH. kemove every particle of filth at
once; provide US much ventilation as possible
ana Keep il up constantly; cement the bottom
ana 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
VIII 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 va
rlety OF fungi, which ycgetale in dark damp
places, some of which are supposed to be
the specific causes of disease.
Remember for cellars-remove filth, make
them dry, vcntilate, and thoroughly white
t,nr q
superintendent of health, but do it at once.
II not, the notice will be sent, and, so far as
possible, will be followed by action.
SINKS
Thcie is no 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 to escape
is dangerous nuisance, and should be
abated at once. Fever, cholera iniantum,
diairhea, cholera morbus and Asiatic cholera
may all have their exciting cause in such
sinks
Many Of the sinks in the better class of
houses are dangerous in this respect; but
what shall we say of these arrangements in
the cheapest class of tenement houses? In
nany OF these houses a square wooden spout
leads from the sink, on the outside Of the
house, into a cesspool imperiectly covered.
often decayed, and the spout, and the house
and ground near it, are saturated with de
composing soap-suds and grease. Every
lime the sink is used the liquid filth OF the
cesspool is stirred up, and the death dealing
odors have free passage through the large
spouts into the house, and generally into the
room occupied by the family Asiatic cholera
luxuriates in such houses, and whole host
OF other diseases find in them their appro
pirate nourishment and abiding places,
Let every sink, drain and cesspool be Gov
cred aii-tighi, and let every pipe and spout
tor conveying slop-water lie 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-thrd OF our existence, more or less, is
spent in sleeping rooms, and vet, as 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 private dwellings spend
their nights in rooms with not more than
onc-halt or two thirds the cubic feet of space
that are allowed to the inmates of our prs-
ons, and with none of the ventilation which
is considered essential TO all weli-constructed
prisons The effects upon health are evil
and that continually.
In some OF the streets of this and other
cities, in the warm, still mornings of sum.
mcr, aa the windows of the crowded houses
are opened, the whole atmosphere is percep-
tibly impregnated with the impure air which
issues forth from the sleeping rooms Of tile
Inhabitants.
The paper covering the walls of sleeping
rooms is often Il serious nuisance 1t is p0-
rous, absorbing and retaining impurities from
| the an; the paste used becomes moist and I'M
dergoes Il fermentation, producing mould,
mildtw and poisonous fungi, which, as the
paper becomes old and broken, sends forth
emanaIions producing teyers and other dis
eases. This evil is increased tenfod, and
made lenlold more dangerous, when sleeping
ROOMS arc occupied by sick persons Rooms
in which there hGse been cases OF sickness,
and particularly Of fever, should never he
used unit the walls have been Thoroughly
cleansed and thoroughly whitewashed with
fresh Stacked lime,
1t were better if our sleeping rooms lad
no paper on the walls and much less furni-
ture in them, and if the walls were frequently
washed or whitewashed. With special ref
erence to the prevention of cholera, sleeping
rooms Should never be on the lower floor OF
our louses. The poison which causes chol-
era, like all malarous pOisOnp, is low and
grovelng- 1t keeps near the ground, and
1 particularly in tile damp air Of the night il
often crecps into the lower rooms of a house
and into Easements, when it does not reach
I the npper rooms. Avoid, then, sleeping on
the lower floors of houses when possible.
Sleeping rooms are generally opened to
/ tile air in dayt ior a short period; but moi
sufficiently They should be freely exposed
for longer periods TO the air and to the sun
hight, SO as TO remove the moisture which
collects ON the wall in the night, and TO tles
troy and prevent the formation of mould and
mildew
For sleeping rooms-vontilatc, vcntilate,
ventilato; permit no filthy paper and paste
on the walls; whitewash frequently, and
give them the benefit OF free air and sunlight
III the day time, as much as possible
GENERALLY.
In every portion of our dwellings there is
detective ventilation, and a free and constant
change of the atmosphere is too 0fen un.
known. Sunlight is practically banished
from too many OF our houses by curtains,
and blinds, and shutters, and shade trees,
aud instead of its liie-giyiug presence We
have damp, darR, moud-producing atmos
phere, at all times injurious to health and
IN time OF an epidemic especially dangerous
In houses and rooms which are kept closed
and dark during the sultry heat 0f summer,
microscopic vegetable fungi are produced In
large quantities, which, it is believed, are
often tile cause Of serious diseases.
Our advice is, then, generally, to bans
shade trees from the immediate vicinity ol
houses, open tic blinds and windows, lei in
the sunlight and the air, and obtain at all
events constant change of atmosphere in
the house. Tor the prevention OF disease,
and especially to prevent the cholera, this Il
OF the utmost Importance
When cholera is present, and the atmos
phere is hot and damp, us it usually is al
such times, most important measure is tc
build dfcs, particularly at night. in different