Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-04
WHAT is OUR SANITARY CONDITION.


There is pestilence in Persia, cholera
in Poland, and yellow fever in South
and Central America. The Persian
pestilence results from famine, the mos
terrible known in the history of the
world. 1t is said that in the province Of
Khorassan, the deaths are three hundred
daily, and men, women and children are
killed and eaten, so that the Governor OF
Shiraz has placed guard at each GENE
terry to prevent the unfortunate and
starving people from disinterring the
bodies Of the dead for use as food. But
coupled with this horrible calamity there
is now. il seems, another. The cholera,
the typhus fever and the plague are
making frightful ravages among the
famine-strieken people. 1t is probable
that the lack of food viii give to all
these diseases, and particularly to the
cholera, a great impetus. Even in ordi-
nary cases, the victims of cholera fall by
thousands; and in a starving population,
where everything, however unsuitable, Is
seized upon for food, its dread reign
may well be supreme. Cholera has made
Its appearance in Poland. 1t has always
originated in the East and never failed
to circle the globe. We are remotely, if
not Immediately, interested it the ques-
ton Of the spread Of this scourge Of the
human race In the first place, the
coastwise cities of the Atlantic should
be kept scrupulously clean. Then, to
guard against neglect on the part of
authorities to do this, the inland towns
should be kept scrupulously, severely,
thoroughly clean. The use of unripe or
over-ripe fruit in midsummer causes
much disease, and is sort of fore
runner of epidemies The suns rays
falling upon it converts it into pestilen
tiai matter. The effect cleanliness
has, says an intelligent writer upon
municipal health and what an aid
filth is to disease and plague in large
cities, may be learned, if instruction
were needed on this point, from the
terrible example of Buenos Ayres, at
this moment under our eyes. In that
beautiful city the pestilence, which lasted
from March %, 1870 to June 8, 1871,
has been frightfully destructive. More
than 100000. people fed terror-stricken
from the city, and of the remainder
10000 died. At one time, with 10000
people remaining in the town, the sick
exceeded 1000, and the mortality was
from four to six hundred per day. This
city, though naturally one Of the
healthiest in the world, in virtue of its
position, had been suffered to reek with
flth-wth no drainage, the wells unfit to
use, the river water which the people
drank poisoned by dead fish, and the
streets 'steaming like dunghill when
ever hot sun came after rainfall
Chaplain Ash, of the British Legation,
who publishes these particulars, adds that
the stencil, when the wind blew from the
south, occasioned vomiting, and the garb-
age of the street remained stagnant in
the wells which honeycomb the city. If
ever the lesson were learned that dirt
means disease and filth means pesti-
lence, it was learned in the horrible ex-
perienee Of Buenos Ayres. We have
no assurance that the yellow fever of the
South and the cholera of the East will
not visit our shores. The first duty of
municipal authorities is to protect the
lives of the people. When they fail TO
do this, they fail to perform their duty,
and are responsible, and should be so
held for every death that results from
their neglect. 1t is more important to
keep this city clean than it is to pay the
interest on its debt, or to reduce the
principal Let us have thorough over.
hauling Of all our streets and alleys.