New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-12
THR PUBLIC HEALTH.

THEORY or DIsINFECTIoN.
The Board met yesterday at the usual hour Presi-
dent Schultz in the cham DIR. Stone moved the appoint
Of George Bayliss Assistant Sanitary Inspector
OF the town Of Greenburgh. Adopted Accommodation
from Inspector H0liey In reference 10 the sanitary eond
ton Of Kings County Jail read by the Secretary
From the weekly report Of Sanitary superintendent Da
ton appears that during the past week there were $50
cases o. neasles 80 OF scarlet fever OF typhoid fever
60 of which fatal The President presented The fol
Statistics winch Is abstract Of the report Of tho pro
ceedings Of theolera Conference held in Wenier Ger
10 ne PrcsideI Metropolitan Hoard Of Health.
DEAR SIR Having been favored with abstact OF the
era Conference that recently ut the city OF Wemar
and having learned from Prof Pettenkoer that the ful
at Lelpzio during the summer. lay before the
Board Of Health synopsis OF che discussions and their
You will recocot the polite invitation that was
extended TO New York to be represented ~ that impor
tant meeting IL turned out to be precisely such Con
ference the interests OF public hygiene required for
the most practical and a Ta TSse
nearly 60 delegates being present Inc lOnOwhg cOlu
sQns were adopted and beg leave TO present them here
before giving tho synopsis OF the debates Oh tne Coer
0"'0' CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
The Conference expresses deliberate conviction chat the et
forts 10 arrest and should be continued
H. Dsncon will Be entirely successful only where ercreSen
%a an ssS To- ~ se and he the
dsntecdon performed BY sanitary authorities eSmpse "
drfecsed advisable de throuShou the places VISITED y
w. The general performed The proper ~e
tsa before S .sas% .es S be @
constantly under the influence Of disiOfeetoa u ,..,
articles 20, yet completed there have ssss found ca Ss
s and TIE esrolc sod and as experience proves
other d'rfe,nis that can be employed s seassr a' con"
VI Ie dncoh oOg thos has become infected by ehoes
ssso ssSS Ss s Be al feet Ss
water OF By shenss 1eos = PIoPr soeSs recommends hat
special BY which d. Infection be employed in
For ' Ss az St9 GERS aud drains the Conference
The s a Me- Ba S' 5u ps s % be- & acDo.
namely combination Of carboo os coal TAR preparations ID cheap
VII choe, iu hoq sPo = s recola%.Ddea ;ss,
ou vacated and their Inhabitants should be removed hom the TO-
tx Il !. especially recommended ground tha the
gund sbo dwelling houses and AL the Grounds ssoss
eoa also that all drinking w'i be andele 'na pure
s a.a a ggfr' P S sy boiling S ' n' '
Such the final conclusions or me conrerenee IN
reference 20 the first duties OF sanitary authorizes ana inc
people Of any that IL threatened by cholera me
discussions were based upon the experience ana studies
Of the distinguished gentlemen who had thus gfeed 10
meet and compare views and the results OF the OD
servatiOns. The attendants at the conference were from
various cities OF Germany, hOllAnd Pf,Ssls, AsIiS,
Hungary and Russia The history Of cholera outbreaks
among tho troops in the war hast year proved
ly Interesting and conclusive on many points N6Nt III
order OF interest and importance was the history OF nee
ton by of water contaminated by cholera excfe
ment Closely aned to the latter subject was the eTaln
nation oeydeuco concerning the discoveries that nave
cholera Infection transported and propaglted Lastly
and most practically useful was the examination OF cyl
dcnces concerning the proper ana best etnods OF us
fecon and the relations OF snch means 10 he eosoo
aud promotion of cholera epdenies The ehiei medical
the history Of the outbreaks Of cholera In London In
nection with the water Of the East London water Com
pany which, ne DIR. Radcliffe has shown, was contaml-
mated by cholera excremcnt the district where that
used the epidemic burst forth as by explosions
while, subsequently in other placest spread by the moe
usual mcthodsandn the usual manner Then again.
there other instances where the epidemic spared
used pvies that were entirely unc0ntaminated by chO
era oxcroment while the epidemic decmated tho classes
that VOLS and reservoirs OF drinking water fire.
queny contaminated by tho cholera poison by s9akage
stools; but Profs. PettenkOfer VANDERBILT simon, and
others agreed that drinking water was not the most uni
The influence OF ground moisture, or moro pre-
cseiy Of the ordinary eround-water, while sqeh
ground after wet period. was proved by such who
daily used the same wei Tster but who used dTersnt
yards as yo saw the same act illustrated IN two nqa
influence Of different kinds OF ground In receiving and
propogatng the epidemic virus OIL cholera was examined
and DR. Pferer. Of Vienna. showed the curious curse
which the epidemic pursued In passing thr' q the
great forest country OF Thrngen last year; while the
what conditions Of the earth had permitted and favored
the spread OF cholera their coll that covered certain
granite rock districts. The outbreaks Blaekwes Isl
and and the rocky summit OF Hudson City, fully bear out
conclusions Of the conference ON the subject OF CHOLERA
epdomics on rocky surfaces aud do not disprove the
agency OF the surface soil in propagtng the virus when
planted i'm such places Examining the great OF facts
presented by OF the conference in regard to nh
ence of the ground and It's Effectiveness OF undraned
ter or OF being porous aud ut times saturated and again
undergoing OF drying by evaporation, the more
important conclusions seem TO be rs follows
That porous o and any od q eas s, e,TI and yST' NE
Of cholera when the gsnan virus he's been noiaeed or
q place not che question at 5S noe @ S b :, S sSS
era that me mol 'ue g9un an n @ % sn
,cos dn become che chief source o. Infection
thag except the sewer; and dralas have been danicete
& pl be % Sas % the st ' b. moist
9' soil AID That slss ao1 ss spRe. S ne
high grOnrdwate aa that the SANITARY
Sn he paicd sTs or germs d csss Pg deep
& T aa5g sS' % aud S fss5as supplied Admirable
proof Of IBIS great doctrine in sanitary drainage
seem 10 be- natural dintints cholera upon which
Sp tine 10 MAKE lie abstract OF the f illustrate the
heoy Of this Kind Of exemption We however that
Iost Used for ding up saaken lots Of
dwelling sometimes be wisely matter Of choice As regards
''S The facts concerning specific dsnecon destroy
for rePropogaton In house or district were well
discussed IA the conference. The negative facts were
as in the great prison at Halle the epidemic swept for
ward regardless of the previous and continued dIsl'
fectlon OF the grounds and nusances with snlphate
Of rOn But IN those Instances was proved that the
and drains were not dlsnfeoted aud that not only
were tho infected spots particularly exposed to aud con-
n St WIN onnSras solution Ind been relied
un1 xnp podmxtnre With carbolic acld and
the powerful antisepte agents which eoatar eotans'
In Berlin great in the use or
ate OF Soda with suphuric acid added-tai II, the sue
cess was achieved by the most rapid ana poweri, OK
idzatOn In the manneras we last summer usln-
fected the efed clothing and bedding OF the cholera
sick by OF permanganate or potassa Inc eGpen-
syenese OF the method Is the chief objection TO It. Yet
FOR domestic and limited applications it is y perfect
thod for clothing aud upholstery Inc iaet taa VIII
entire unanlmty tho Conference RECOMMENDED that me
main reliance for dsinecton should be placed ~ inc
sImpler and powerful agentssulphate or iron ana car
bolic acid which the Metropolitan Board unhesitatngY
adopted at the beginning of the epidemic last yeatW
be- ample warrant for our continuing 10 employ those
cheap and e1ectual substances. ,
THE vital Importance Of perfect sanitary care OF all
nersons sick or infected with cholera Illustrated in
IT, H. In