The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-14


zee cellar, hled as above described supposed 10 DO
unaffected by such exposure?
These are new questions and upon subject about
which eonfessedy but little is known Perhaps until
they are scientifically considered and satisfactorily
swered, there may be some who would prefer 70 have
the meats they eat differently treated. Some might
think as an Official who'll he Is not feed-confscates
Immature lambs, bob yeal and foul meats, he might
also IN winter season when there Is little or no confs-
cation TO attend to- order few hundred Of these ice
carts to dump their contents into the river.
MIAsMA.
But II is not only that we import miasma we manu-.
tActure II in our city in the most open and deliberate
manner For long time we have heard Of "alled inn
lots-and they were bad enough-but they moth
ing to the "hlled inn lots Of to-day The difference is
immense, and the change essential In the considera
ton now before u.s.
There two elements to be considered In this In
vestgaton.
First-rhe original condition Of the locality
Secoad-The character Of the material used in clevat-
ing them.
Sometimes the filled up lots have a natural hard
gravelly, sandy rocky bottom naturally healthy
Their depression is Fictitious one, made by the eleva.
ton OF adjacent roadways railroad tracks the leyeng
or general grading of streets Such as these properly
hlled IN with pure material may be as salubrous as
any other spots But II the original condition OF the
place was boggy marshy, undraned; worse STILL If IL
the receptacle Of the contents OF almost stagnan
streams the washngs and debris OF every description
then be thus filed with the purest sands Of the
ocean there will be for period prolonged beyond cal
culation perpetual indus OF disease, constantly
exuding malaria penetrating through the sand,
escaping into the house in Intensity and
,virulence incaculable, because only TO be regu-
lated OF aileCtCu Oy the COnuitlOn OF the
atmosphere, hygrometically, thermometrcally
sdered and OF Importance It's specific potency
In comparison TO the vigor of the occupants OF any
residence built near such locality General
Viele's splendid Typographical maps OF this city have
all the original watercourses ponds pools, marshes OF
this island Did Il ever occur TO any one that the sites
OF Rome London, New York, &c, originally but
country places with trees and brooks and frog ponds
II does he to think that not only the easily
cut down trees TO be removed, but that something is TO
be done with springs and brooks This easy task;
often an impossible one 10 do anything more thanto
let them run, bridge thom nc But they are some
times covered up and then they liable to be cogged
and burst out sometimes into adjacent sewer
times into contiguous cellar, but they always
sources or adjuncts of disease.
Some years ago had patient with an obscure affec-
ton which ultimately took on an intermittent type
The lady had never had any form of disease OF this
ture On making investigation | found that she had
lived in the house the south side of Washington
square about year She said she could wipe of the
accumulated dew like moisture from her basement mir
rors every few orrs. subsequent examination Of
General Vice's Ups showed that brook directly
under her house, and the dampness could not be
kept out by cement floors and like appliances The
buried forces of nature would necessarily strive to
reassert themselves
on Murray HILL in Thrty-eighth street. Is magnif-
house which cost it's original owner 500 600, but
persistent III heath and lnally death followed its
patton. 1t was t discovered that, built upon
rocky foundation, i srsistent stream OF water came
through the rms ta stone, kept the under cellar
a1oat permeated . foundation walls and running
upward by kind OF capillary attraction, dampened
the whole house, producing zymotc disease and death
Attempts relief discovered that the cellar many
feet below the sewer, TO connect with which by small
dram lower down the hill would supposedly cost,
through the rocky foundation, some $4,000. The
final buyer had well dug, which twice day emptied
by pump attached and at a daily cost Of time and
trouble and unfortunately not with entire relief from
the lnseparablc dampness.
FILLED
The character of the material used for filling in lots
Is 10 be considered, be the original character Of
the ground what IL may. Had New York followed the
example OF Boston, who ied her back bay with pure
trains from the surrounding heights OF Roxbury and
Brookline-had not followed mere ''penny wise
pound foolish" economy-there would have been no
occasion here for word this subject There in
deed understand, little objection made TO the
called inn portion OF Boston, but this owing the
original foundation soil and not TO the subsequent ad
dition
The odlling in" of old New York. &, the New York
of twenty i've or thirty years ago-was comparatively
the same as the hlling in' Of to-day, and yet
nominally, the material was the same dumping
allowed here" was then common sign, and builders
deposited their convenience their cellar diggings
refuse wood and lin and shavings and the like.
The above written early in April To-day May
81 passing down the East River on the Harlem boat
noticed a very offensive but recognizable smell IL
was evidently from emptying street sweepings
and garbage and sure enough more than a mile dis
tanL they to be seen dumping their contents
fill up the extremity Of Blackwes Island. And for
what purpose was this land 10 be made2 This was q
conundrum which sanitarian could guess.
Nothing less nothing more preposterous than to build
upon IL pavilions cottages for fever patlents /
would protest in the name OF humanity against such
outrage; but suppose that IL considered that the
patients were TO be paupers and small criminals, bum
and oafers, poor drunkards and the like, who
would be allowed 10 starve 10 death in countries
who at any make good OF Ike. and might
well be allowed TO die from malaral poison OF garbage
filed in land in Christian manner, in a charity hos
ptal OF the greatest city OF America know the doc
trine serves them right They are poor and miserable,
and they ought TO die
officials When barbaric England wants get rid Of
her paupers and irrehgous Italy her criminal azza-
ron they send ship load over here; but we are too
smart for them and send them back At their expense
We don't do any such folly We treat them kindly,
with the best medical and appliances in the mod
ern pavilion hospital built garbage made land, and
they are sure TO die like the Black Hole or Libby
Prison occupants, and the medical students are thus
taught gratis and our paupers are got rid Of cheaper
than those Of any nation in the world. "Aint we
killing smart peopleg"
But there Is an objection. The odor Is smet over
mile on, ana New forkefs 81 ane east sac suun ~
fumes, and death IS certain, al a distance exactly
what is yet uncertain, but Murray Hill smell It
with a southeast by east wind.
MUNICIPAL HosnCTDEs.
In the light OF our present knowledge such work
must considered little less than criminal 10 be
classed under some legal heading, like "ntentional
Homicide the part OF those who permit and author
ze it. Where officials our Mayor, our Boards
OF Health and Police? Is IL all Of their duty,
comparatively important part OF IT, while such enor-
mites going on, TO order carts loaded with healthy
horse manure to be covered with cloth, generally
thier 70 the eye than what II covers; to uniform
police and drill them in squad exercise and snglestlck
encngY This disease and death Is the apparent result
OF their derection Of duty Do they say they have
power from want Of legal enactment2 Then IS II
only be asked for this power and they ever
ready to confer IT, But upon this point more
If what has been alleged against the city officials
the city itself may be cassed active homicide there
are another series Of diseases and Deaths perhaps
equalhngsthe former in attributes and in numbers,
which may be called in contradsuncton, passive
homlcides. y
PASSIVE HOMICIDE.
These not sins OF direct commission, but Of ndi-
rect omission II is inecency delay red tape, neglect
In certain instances this may occur from clashing Of
authorities from the defects OF the present separate
bureau system As instance we.will cite the we'll
known recent Broadway enlargement, which passed
through various stages under as many departments.
We will commence with the tearing down Of the west
side of the Then came the survey and the
tual curbing OF the street; then hingn and level
ling; finally, after many months-nearly six years
the finally paved and opened for travel But
the trouble Is not yet, nor has malaria enough
been fomented and spread broadcast for scarcely
the pavemens laid before they again taken up aud
a still unfinished is going through II with Its
hastings debris It's obstruction 10 travel to the
cess Of property owners TO their dwellings, TO
fresh outcroppngs Of disease and to renewed oyfuness
to the doctors and undertakers of the vicinity.
Any today MAY ~ going by West Forty first
street will hnd the hastings for tho sewer still going