Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-06-28
SANITARY.
Circular from the American Public
Health Association.

a affected by the choleratic poison, aide,
: by local causes, is as true now as i
| the former visitations.
To combat and arrest the progress
and prevent the epidemic prevalence,
of this scourge of sanitary negligence
it is necessary that the inhabitants o
every city and town should promptly
resort to the most effectual purifca.
ton, and the best known means of dis
infection, and that sanitary cleansing
? and preparation should, as far as pos
sible, be undertaken before any cases
of cholera occur; and that, in the
presence Of the disease, thesanitary du-
tiesshould be enforced nevery house
! hold, and throughout the entire dis
triet. Experience has proved that the
best way to prevent both pestilenee
and panic is to know and prepare for
the danger 1t is the only way to deal
successfully with cholera.
SANITARY CLEANING.
The local conditions that chiefly pro-
mote the outbreaks and propagation of
cholera, are:
l. Neglected privies.
2. Filth-sodden grounds.
3. Foul cellars and filthy and badly
drained surroundings of dwellings.
4. Foul and obstructed house drains.
.. Decaying and putrescent materi-
ais, whether animal or vegetable.
6. Unventilated, damp anduncleans-
ed dwellings and apartments.
These localizing causes of cholera
should be promptly and very thorough
ly removed before a case of the dis
ease appears in the town or district;
and if any sources ofputrescence or OF
excessive moisture remain, even these
should be controlled by the proper
cleansing and disinfection.
Thorough scavenging and surface
drainage, with the application at the
same time of quick-lime and coal-tar
or crude carbolic acid; whitewashing
with fresh quick-lime the cleansing
and thorough drying and ventilation Of
cellars, easements, chambers and clos
cts, and daily care to cleanse, flush,
ventilate and purify the sources of de-
Element about all inhabited premises,
will afford almost complete protection
if suitable care is taken of
PERSONAL HEALTH.
The security of personal health re-
quires pure drinking water, fresh and
substantial food, temperance, and the
needed rest and bathing Of the body
DISINFECTION AND DIsINFECTANTs.
The principles relating to disinfec-
ton as a means of destroying the pro-
pagating or infectious cause of cholera
the cholera contagium" are readi-
ly understood, and may be sosexplain-
ed to any family that the household
may insure its own immunity against
the Introduction and spread of the dis
ase. For orpopular use we appenda brief
statement of these principles at the end
of this circular and we respectfully
recommended that the statement and
the following schedule of rules and
methods be given to the press, and all
principals OF schools, superintendents
of places of public resort, railroad de-
pots, ferries, hotels and steamboats,,
and the conductors of passenger trains
throughout this continent; believing,
as we do. that by the timely application
of these measures the prevalence of
cholera may be prevented.
RULES ANDMETHODs OFDIsINFECTION.
For privies, water-closets, drains and
sewers-Eight or ten pounds of sui
phate of iron (cOpperas) dissolved in
five or six gallons of water, and half
pint of crude carbolic acid added to
the solution and and briskly stirred,
makes the cheapest and best disinfect-
ing fluid for common use. 1t can be
procured In every town and by any
family, and if the carbolic acid is not
at hand, the solution of eopperas may
be used without it.
To prevent privies and water-closets
from becoming infected or offensive
Pour pint of this strong solution into
every water-closet or privy-seat once
or twice day.
To disinfect masses of filth, privy-
waits, sewers and drains-gradually
pour in this solution until it reaches
and disinfects all the foul material.
For the chamber-vessels used by the
sick, and for the disinfection of ground
uDOu CACiCInCutdA
has been cast away, for disinfecting ex-
tensive masses or surfaces of pqtres-
cent materials, and for drains, sewers
and bitches, the dead oil of coal
tar, or coal l-tar itself is available; coal
tar may be used as disnifecting paint
upon the walls of cellars, stables and
open drains.
Quicklime is useful as an absorbent |
and dryer upon such walls and in damp |
places, and whitewashing with itshould
be practiced in common tenements,
factories, Easements, closets and gar
rets.
To disinfect the clothing defled in
any manner by excremental matters |
from thesick, throw all such articles
Immediately into boiling water and
continue the boiling for half an hour;
or place them in solution, covered,
made as follows: One pound of sui
phate of zinc, six or eight gallons of
water, to which add two or three ounces
of pure strong carbolie acid.
Keep the soiled articles saturated
until they can be boiled. IF the acid
is not handy use the zinc water alone.
Apartments, bedding upholstery that
have been used by the sick with chole-
ra or diarrhea, should be fumigated by
the burning ofseveral pounds of brim-
stone (sulphur) upon a defended iron
pan, with the place tightly closed for
several hours, under a physician s di-
rections.
PRINCIPLES AND DUTIES TO BE TAUGHT
1. That thorough cleanliness, domes-
tic and civic, and an abundant supply
of pure water are essential Means OF
preventing cholera in any household
when the disease is near.
2. That general cleansing, .eaveng-.
ing and disinfectiOn should be attended
TO in every city and town before cholera
makes its appearance; and thai where
ever it does appear, that house and the
exposed premises should be Kept con-
stantly disinfected.
3. That in the words of the Chief
Medical Officer of Great Britain, 1t
appears to be characteristic of cholera,
not only Of the disease in its developed
and alarming form, but equally of the
slightest diarrhea which the epidemic
can produce that all matters which
the patient discharges from his stom-
aeh and bowels are infective; that the
patients power of injecting from other
person is represented almost or quite
exclusively by those discharges; that
they are comparatively noninfectIye at
the moment they are discharged, but
afterwards, when undergoing decom-
position, acquire their maximum infec-
tive power; and If they be east away