The New York herald., 1875-11-25
The Need OF a sanitary Service.

Ihe Need OF Sanitary service.
Care for the public health is one Of the
functions of good government. 1t is recog-
nlzed by the existence of sanitary codes in
the history of every civilized nation that it is
among the least doubtful duties of authority
to protect the people in all points where they
cannot individually protect themselves from
the causes of preventable disease. In some
codes baths and a certain diet are enforced
by religious sanction; in others public
health is assured by physical training; and it
is a common provision of the law Of almost
every modern country that it provides for
the scrutiny of the meat and other articles of
food exposed for sale in the public markets
Quarantine to prevent the importation of in
fectious and contagious diseases is older than
the maritime commerce to which it is now
mainly applied. Every dollar spent in sew
erage and in the construction of the ma
chinery for supplying water to great cities is
public money spent in the cause of public
the form of disease against which individual
fortunes would prove inadequate.
In addition to the great and recognized
evils of regular occurrence that every gov
ernment has to provide against in the inter-
est of public health-the expenditures for
sewerage, water supply quarantine, &C.
there are constantly arising unforeseen dam
gers Cholera suddenly appears, fevers as
sumo virulent and epidemic form, and
these become plague-like scourges that carry
off whole populations; and governments
may be judged by the provision they make
against this element of contingent danger to
public health. Throughout England, France,
Belgium, Germany and Austria there is
regular system of local and general health
authorities. They perform the routine dp-
ties OF market inspection, attend to vaccina-
ton and vital statistics; but they are also
capable and energetic, and equal to great
occasions and do important public service
when the need arises Some system of this
sort is sadly needed here. Within a COM
paratively recent period diseases dependent
upon malaria and disease either caused
or aggravated by sewer gas have 50
largely increased in this city as to
account for very great proportion of
the death rate Here is case where indi-
vidual effort can accomplish little against the
enemy; where people cannot save them
selves by flight, as they are compelled to live
where their interests are; but where the
combined actions of public sanitary service
would be of incalculable value. In the
struggle against these sources of disease the
people have absolutely no assistance from
| fha 10 ic q oh,
and shame to our government
1t is true we have what is called a Board
of Health, q sort of rose water committee,
that is public evil rather than a public
benefit in the premises; because, while it
does nothing against the troubles referred to,
it attracts attention to itself as though it per-
formed the needed service, and thus prevents
the organization of a body that would
actually perform that service There never
was in any community o more Immediately
apparent or imperative public want than
that now felt in this community for an ef-
fective sanitary service, to Investigate Off
cially the causes of the great mortality raging
here from diseases that are believed to be in
great degree preventable and to take meas
ures thereupon 10 mitigate the operation OF
these maladies by all the resources of engi-
neering and medical science No help to
this end can be expected from the Board of
Health; and we call the attention of the
Mayor to this topic as one that may possibly
afford him, within the limits of his functions
! as Chief Magistrate, the opportunity to re-
construct his somewhat damaged political
fortunes. If he will boldly abandon his
small squabbles with political pettifoggers
and find in the functions of his office the
authority to take some effective steps for the
protection of the public health he may yet
fill place in the public eye that will make
him promising candidate for reelection in
the spring
Arctic Exploration.