The New York herald., 1875-08-23
THE HARLEM FLATS.

IN THE FUrURE-wHAr sANrrARIANs SAY.
The Harlem fats certainly not in the good con-
ditlon which Board OF Health would have the people
believe them be. That tho offensive stencil which
they give forth Is subdued n not entirely
come is true but the flats no longer danger
Gus TO health is not Disease and death still linger
them, and from them send forth their ennis
sares to penetrate 70 the heart Of the
city The which have been adopted by tho
Board OF Health To do away with tho nuisances OF the
fats inadequate, and the people may look toward
being speedily revisited with all tho evils of which they
have temporarily beon rid, unless the health
authorities adopt some and ehcacious
method TO decompose the hlth which lies
upon the fats, and now nfects the atmosphere
This is not said In the spirit OF alarmist The most
conservative sanitarian, II he is man who has kept
himself well read in the literature OF the science he
fesses win declare the above statement TO bo true
The Board OF Health OF this city has done much good
work. 1t did much toward preventing pests from visit
ing the city when II rid tho
souALrD, yUSGI- -oRowS CELLARS
OF the poorer districts OF their wreched Inhabitants
and cleared away from the environments Of the public
markets the ramshackie and nlthy shantics These
things the Board did in the beginning OF Its
great power. It did them quickly and encrgct-
icay, but did not follow them mp with
other work. that the applause OF tho pub
lie might continually be mcritcd. II certainly cannot be
denied the Board OF Health Is responsible for tho
dumping of hling which contains at least thirty per
of organic matter the Harlem flats. It the
duty of tho Boards inspectors inspect all the
material thrown upon the barges OF the Police
Street Cleaning Bureau 10 indicate what should
DO used for ''hlling," and what for
manuring purposes, bo dumped into the open
Those inspectors neglected that duty, and permitted
poisonous material to DO used In uprasing the wet
lands the upper end the island When tho reduction
OF that material began and tho nitrogcnous particles
commenced 10 infect the air OF the Harlem district,
1t the duty OF the Board Of Health
Immediately begin the work Of publication. Yet tho
Board did pay any attention to the evil until after
the HERALD had discovered and denouncedt AS
had done this the Board entered upon what
It called the work OF publication Its employees cartcd
70 the fats and spread over them
A THIN COVERING OF cARBoLIc ACID
and sawdus Then It assured the people that the Ills
they had suffered the banished and the
people believed because they did smell the horrible
stencil which had previously disgusted and sickencd
them 1t was very easy for the Board OF Health to
make the people believe that carboc acid
n true remedy for all the fi~ which might
have come from the fats. There is scarcely house
holder this city, learned in the literature OF sani
tary science, but believes that with carboc acid he
Danish contagion. The Board Of Health has cdu-
Gated the people to this belief 1t has prescribed
the acid as universal countcr.agcnt to
contagon Is It sor The best authorities
on sanitary science say not The President OF the
Board Of Health is great chemist No sanitarian will
oppose this statement but many santarians do declare
colleagues have rcposcd faith in carboc acid,
in defiance of the assertions that it is not,
used tho Board of Health it,
an agent hasten putrefaction OF organic matter and
at the same mc, to overcome the poisonous results Of
the reduction OF that matter According to the most
earnest OF cxpcrimenters In reference TO sanitary sci
cnce,
oARBoLc ACID ASrIsEPTIc;
that Is, 1t preserves matter and will not
urge decay. Said well known physician
to the writer yesterday, 'If l wish to preserve
specimens, put them into diluted carbolic acid Bac-
terra may exist in carboic acidn The question to
whether bacteria results of putrefacton is
too deep for discussion here 1t is sufficient noto
that they organisms and may exist, If the word
may be used, in carboc acid. This seems TO prove
of the germs, the nitrogenous matter, which is the
cause OF all contagious diseases.
DECAY
the separation of elements, for time but when It's
force expended putreactOn starts moro and the
ntrogenous element is evolved and starts on Its mis-
sion of disease. Thus unless measures now taken
will 1t be at Harlem The organic NATTER
the filth Of the streets, which dumped tho 0ats
is being preserved by the carboic acid and when
the power of that antscptic is expended It will
begin to putrefy and not only offend the nostrils
of the people, but also affect tmeir health IL is time for
the Board OF Health TO admit that carbolc acid Is
simply prescrvative and deodorant. With the fact
before them that practical commercial the acid
to preserve beef the long journey from the West
Texas the Board should be slow TO admit this And
having made the admission IL should Immediately begin
the use of some efficient purifying agent upon the Har
lem flats
In the medical monthly journal called the San,tarian,
for the month OF September, there is valuable article
''rHE PREVENTION OF rurRyrAcriox"
1t was written by John Dougal, NJ. D., OF Glasgow,
Scotland and was read by him before the Medco
Chrurgical society OF this city in April 1t is copied
by the Samaritan from the Glasgow Medical
Health would do well to read It, In his paper Dr. Dou
gall details the results Of some experiments made by
him with carboic acid. There is not space here to nd
init of quotation Of the details Of those experiments
but the following is DR.. DougalPs summary OF them:-
These experiments with carbolc acid and vaccine lymph
s being Ss sSed for hours % Of
& s%SGs that even where ya'Gns % in
SOc acid HerTy equal Dx DrT IT'S lin % be
S@sed to eommon mir for tweve days It's lymph is normally
Crookes and second experiment explained by the
%ration, when probably the coaguIaticn Of t5c
lymph prevented It's absorption BY the Ssrmal
volatilirc for twelve days the lymph Is rendered
i: recent union with the carboc acid vacc""ies
unaercd by carboc acid and that vaccinne
is nimcal 70 yaroline seems Just conclusion
degree will varioline be unaercd by carboic acid and il
Sat al. ay%oc pCisons will undcP the ss%s e
.S and not only So but G.
their Eymotic will be conceded
that the conditions of the experiments highly
acid proportion Of that substance present
greatly of the quantity which II possible
in practical excremental aerial disnfccon Briefly
tho show that the Of antiscptics
antiymotc palpabe paradox preservation being
tised and destruction expected.
In commenting upon DR.. Dougnrs paper, DR.. A. N
Bell, the editor Of The Sdnitdridn says
Dr. DouGalls paper the prevention Of pm
the destruction Of contaga pages
this number should be read by all persons interested In
promotion OF health and especially by health officers II
will 20 call attention dis
infcctnnts and lessen the liability TO waste both
health and life the suggestions Of theorists
DR. Dongnl and others have shown that IN
general terms the efficiency of substances dufecAns
depends upon their power oxidtng Sulphurous
acid which has 80 long been esteemed Of tho
powerful dsinctants has been found by Dr Cameron and
Douga TO be inferior 70 several other substances hitherto
but lightly esteemed
Bchromae OF potash proved eicacious Dr. Dougais
hands that he led 20 experiment with its active cons
chromc acid and he the opinion that this
compound will eventually tako the foremost place
dnfectants Tho only apparent obstacle general
Is It's cost.