New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-23
The Necessity of Disinfec ton.

1T mas Doen Salu tnat tno people OF tnls
city will not use disinfectants, as prescribed
by the Board Of Health, because of the odor
This prejudice 10 dangerous and absurd
The OdOr of carbolic acid 10 not one tenth
part rs disagreeabls TO people who breathe
pure air as the fetid smell that Icomes from
the cutters, damp and ill smelling places in
houses and yards, and the gases that come
from all vauits which have not been disin.
fected. These odors are highly dangerous
to health and life. Those from cutters and
open places are less so than that of vaults,
because partially rendered harmless By the
atmosphere.
We have had very little yellow feeer 80
far this season, but the danger is by no
means over. On the contrary. it is demand.
ing the utmosr care and energy on the part
Of the Board of Health.
Very few Of these people who find The
smell Of disinfsctant. 50 disagreeable 10, are
aware oe wha. . fo1l atm osphsre tkey
breathe There is NO house which has an
undeodorizsd vault attached, whose inmates
have the benefit OF pure air. They Jrea the
a compound Of the most dangerous gases
which science has discovered. But 80 long
have they bres:hed it that they have lost
the sense which would defend them from
its evil results. Like the engineer, the
! stopping of whose engine awakens him,
they have become 20 used to it that they
only discover what they have endured when
| they ara relieved from it.
Every vault continually discharges large
quantities Of sulphuretted hydrogen. sui.
phide OF ammonium, and phosphuret ted
hydrogen Every one Of these gases is in
| furious to health. OF sulphuretted hydro
J gen one part in five thousand of atlaos-
! pbere would prove injurious 70 health. A
cubic inch set free in = room containing two
thousand feet is perceptible in all p arts OF
it, One part il sixteen hundred of atmos.
phere will cause death to any small animal.
| H a strong man should breathe the pure
gas it would kill him a. with stroke OF
| lightning.
Yet day after day, year in and year out,
tho majority Of our population inhale the
destruction from their vAults and never
care to relieve themselves Of ir. Why
should they! /. il what they have al ways
done Auys innovation on the customs OF
their fathers Is absurd. Yet it tells in their
sallow complexion, sickly and decrepit
children, and finally the eject is death.
The approach u very gradual and the un.
fortunate igaoramus dies before he knows
what hurt him. 1t il especially injurious
to those who live most in the hsuse-wo-
men and children. The foul odor contin
ualiy arising uingle with the atmo sphere
of every part of it. There is no worse POI.
son than this OdOy. .
Bat the remedy is exceedingly eimple.
The Board OF Health has provided disin
fectant which -caa be obtained at almost
every drug store. One quart Of it will cure
the evi! aud cost only 6fty cents. The
Board Of Health says:
These metallic salts destroy totally and
Immediately all sulphuretei hydrogen, sui
phide of ammonium and phosphuretted by.
drogen, The chief offensive and deleterious
emanations from Saults, cesspO0ls. water
closets, etc. +1,-.-
Carbolic acid has no action on these sub
stances, hut by its presence prevents fer.
mentatiop, decomposition and the fOrms-
tion of sulphur compounds from these
decaying and fermentins excrementi:ious
matters. Its action il therefore not reme-
DIAL but pfexentive..E Each preparation will
completely and at once destroy all foul
odOrs, but if carbolic acid be not used the
process Of deolcriza:ion vii! require more
frequent repetition.
The Board of Health consider the lie.
etruction Of these foul Odors from cutters
and privies, as amalter of the greatest san
itary Importance, and urges upon every
householder Immediately 10 use the means
recommended to free himself and family
from the noxiOus influence of these Ill.
smelling, unwholesome exhalations.
In order that these ideas may be carried
out the following ordinance has been
passed: ..-
Whenever n the opinion OF the p roper
officer or officers Of the Board of Heal th OF
the State Of Louisiana, any privy or p rivy
vault, shall be in q condition such as o re-
quipe the4aDe TO be disinfected or de0d dor
lied; ne or they; shall cause notice the reof
to be given to the owner or tenant of the
premises where such privy or privy vaults
may be, to deodorize or disinfect such privy
or privy vaults, within delay OF thirty six
obey such notice, within said time. such
offender shall be- held liable 70 fine not
exceeding the sum of ten dollars.
Readers will observe tina. any vault
which has not been disinfected comes with
in the scope Of this ordinance.
As an illustration of the ignorancs which
prevails in many families, the following
case is quoted: A few months since in one
house three successive deaths from cholera
occurred. Tie physician was naturally
in0uisitlve as to the cause. He was assured
there were no foul odors abou. the yard.
Every thing was said to be il excellent
sanitary con iiSion. 1: wa, aa :ne1-
plicable mystery. At last, after close Iues.
ti0niny, the gentleman said, as il it were
matter of 10 moment, it was true that the
pciyy vault had overfowed into the yard
two or three times, but tha. was al.
Of course he WAS unable 10 use dsiatec.
tants, they smelIed 80 t;i-as,eeabiy.
The General Meade.
We learn that this popular steame: vas
unwittingly the cause OF an accident On her
last trip to New York. 1t appears that the
bark Josie, Captain Ginn. from Csioarien,
while lying at anchor in the lower quarau
tine, at 10 P. NJ. on the sixteenth instant,
was run into bT the General Meade and