Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-09-14
leg LICTURI
RECENTLY DELIVERED AT STRAIGHT
UNIVERSITY
BY ]. T. NEWMAN, nj. ID.
(CONCLUDED.)

1pestilonce? The work must he done by
scavengers, carters, and watermen.
The two first must remove the filth
while the latter must then follow them
mp and wash away the remains. But
shoveling and scraping do very little
good, Gue it removes the unsightly
filth, but the poison still fingers.
Plenty of water is the only thing to re-
move it, for if tits to be of any value it
requires degree Of care that is never
bestowed on any street. 1t is not that
the system is wrong. but that the work
is imperfectly performed. Nine eases
out of ten there is more filth left in
the cutters of one city than it would
take to poison fifty, hence We have
! malaria. What are the best means
of preventing the formation and re-
moving the sources of malaria. To this
great practical question on whose So
luton depends the life Of millions,
an answer may be safely given it is
nothing more or less than cleanliness,
nothing farther than this can be done
nor is anything farther necessary, to
remove or destroy malaria, all filth
consist in mixing two elements, name
Iy:-water, vegetable or animal refuse.
1t has been already shown that the
poison can not be formed without the
union OF such compound, the removal
or destruction of such elements con-
stitutes cleanliness.
am then asked, in what way the
requisite cleanliness can be preserved.
My answer to that is, it is different in
different places. 1t is impossible for
Inc to give you treatise, l can do
nothing more than give general rules.
will say this, that man works wisely
in initiating nature; as often as he op-
poses her he willmeet disappointment,
If he does not suffer misfortune. Let
him receive his lessons from her and
he will rarely miss his aim. Her chief
agents are four: pure water, pure air,
fire, and active vegetation, add to these
vOraciOus animals and host of small
ones who feed on filth, my catalogue
is then complete. BY the judicious
management Of the agents mentioned
man can remove everything that is in.
furious to his health.
Is personal cleanliness the object:
Soap, water; and towel will do it. II
removes the filth and we feel clean.
This is a measure that is of more
Importance than medicines, and wisl,
that l could say that it was in general
use all over our country. Is ship OF
house to be cleaned ? good pure air is
certain to succeed. FOnlness beyond
this knows no master but fire, which
is competent to subdue all things that
are combustible.
Whitewashing is sloven manner OF
cOneealing filth, 1 will grant you that
it covers it up, but does not remove it;
hence you will readily perceive that il
deceives the eye, but mi;,sm spresent,
and nature will not be deceived.
Painting is much better, because it.
covers more effectnally, and it can not
| escape. In all wooden fabrics it is
infinitely preferable. Whitewashing
is a common expedient in quarantine
establishments, also, in fnmigation. 1t
combines odorous matter, and by its
combustion, gases are generated that
are supposed to destroy the malaria.
The practice is empirical in both
cases. 1 know that this sentiment will
not be received, because Legitimacy
and fashion are against it, oh! would
to God that fashion was no more.
But says one it has the sanction of
the Board of Health, but in this case
they have no divine right to dictate.
What is the object of whitewashing
and fllmigating? To make the place
clean. When it has done that, it does
all that it is capable of doing, but
when you say to neutralize poison,
let me ask you what poison Your
answer to me is that, do not know.
Then allow me to say to you, if you
do not know, the practice is absurd,
if not gross imposition, it is Just as
bad as the exhibition of remedy to
cure disease of whose seat and char
acter the exhibitor is ignorant, the
nostrum is as likely to destroy the
patient as to cure him. The practice
is empirical, and science should frown
on it.
1t is q well known fact that many
more persons die from a partial OBJ.
servance of medical directions, than
because the directions were erroneous
or unwise. Even a bad system well
managed is a less evil than q good
system mis-managed. Hence the
words Of some poet, whose name ]
forget, may be taken for maxim:
For forms of government let fools con
| test,
That which is best administered is hest
You will readily perceive that by
thinly spreading filth it is more
deleterious than while lying in solid
mass, in a smaller space it increase.