National Republican., 1875-07-02
SUMMERS NEED-FREsH PURE AIR.

We have more than once noticed the ad-
vantages which Washington more than
any city in the Union affords to the summer
stay at-homes. How to make the most of
these advantages to pass the summer
with health for the little ones and comfort
for all the households a lesson which is
we'll worth learning. There is one benefit,
at least, in summers heat 1t forces the
household into the open air, and there na-
ture has provided a preventive of all her
bodily ills which summers heat seems
likely to generate.
1t will be we'll to take this fact into fire.
uuent consideration, and to make practical
use of it as the basis of healthful life in
summer. Fortunate indeed are we whose
summers have to be spent in Washington
in this respect Besides streets far wider
than most of ordinary cities the great sys-
TEN of avenues that make roadways for the
breeze from whatever quarter it may chance
to come, we have a broad river skirting
one edge of the city, cool creeks wind along
other of our confines, while the highlands
behind us give admirable resorts within an
hours ride. Right through the city
magnificent park affords verdure, shade,
and room for the air to circulate, where
the multitudes of trees will change
its carbonic acid to life-giving oxygen.
Then, too, the hundreds of smaller parks
(great, many of them would be called in
any other place. dot the city with their
healthful beauty. In all the world there is
no city where this most essential element
of health-fresh air-has so many helps to
its purity or means to g i've it the swlttest
course and the widest range. We of course
look to the Board of Health to preserve the
city from everything that can contaminate
the fresh air that nature and art have done
SO much to bring TO us. Despite all that
can be said of the board-and it is not diff
cult for carping critic to find anywhere
causes of censure-it is doing good work
for the city. Ifthere is tendency on the
part of some members to wander from old
paths, after the untried guesses of science,
they yet deserve the public thanks. They
will increase the public obligation to them
if some of the time which is devoted to
new projects be spent in active work to see
that their designs are being carried out.
The physician may be the wisest in the
world, but all his prescriptions fail when
the nurses are inattentive to his directions.
The practical use of the sanitary regula-
tions of the board depends on employees
who must needs be often careless and
nearly always unscientifc men. The
Deficiencies in this respect must be
supplied by the indefatigable, assid-
uous, diligent, sleepless supervision
of them and their work by the
members of the Board of Health, or the
board plans, excellent in themselves, may
all prove failures, and serve only to give us
a sense of security when We ought to BIT. on
our best guard against peril. Any fair sys-
tenn of sanitary regulations is sufficient if
they are carried out, but the details are the
essential part of the matter. Nothing must
be omitted, or the whole fails in its effect
All good citizens should feel themselves
bound to assist the board in this rigorous,
constant, unremitting supervision. When
you feel disposed to quarrel with the board,
look about you and see if you cannot help
them instead. Let the board not be wor-
ried even at foolish suggestions from out
siders. 1t is not given to all men to be as
wise as they. But in this matter of secur-
ing pure, fresh air for the city let US all
work together. 1t means not only comfort
and vigor for us men and women, but it
means the absence of pain for the little
ones, whose eyes it will keep bright des-
pite the heat. We need other health pre-
servers as well as fresh air, but we need
that first. All else is vain without it. For
the effort to keep it pure let us all work to-
gether with a will.