The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-20
DISBECKER'S DISINFECTANT.
Distribution Of Dead Oil q De-
fusion and q Snare.
AN OUTSP0KEN POLICE SURGEON.
"Thc Whole System Is Radically Wrong
and Should Be Changed"
GERM THEORY OF DISEASE.

A HERALD reporter yesterday made tour OF
the Harlem nats for the purpose OF ascertaining
VIVA. iurther measures hau been taken. Il any, by
The health authorities toward dsinlecting the
mIasmatic place. careful reading OF the ol-
lowing conversation with Police SURGEON Thomas
Will convince the most sceptical that the process
adopted by the Board OF Health IS little better
than iarcical. To sprinkle lew bucgetuls or
barrels, tne case may be, OF dead OIL over dis
trlct where the seeds or disease fructlfylng Is
merely 10 insult the intelligence OF the peo-
pie. Dead oil, by the way, is very appropriate
name for the stun, as &c Is nothing but dead oil,
ana IL contains chemical dslnfecting proper
ties Whatever, and as deodorlzer, Is simply
worthless DR.. Thomas IS the police surgeon OF
the district IN Nhicn the "nats'' are located, 50
that his views viii be found OF more than ordinary
interest.
what do you think OF the process OF disiEfect-
ing the hats which mas Deen adopted by the
Board OF HEALTH"
II consider 1t wholly inadequate TO the need. or
course II is better than nothing. aud we ought to
be thankful Tor what little good he gods give us;
but the relief Is only temporary one; the EVIL
Itself, with all its horrible ana sickening proper.
tions, remains the same.u
"wnat are the chemical properties OF dead
onrn
II must confess l can't tell you. II IS the refuse
OF petroleum. put the term itself Is a new one,
just as the people used TO call nitro-gyceune
blasting OIL 1t nas something OF the odor OF coal
tar, but consider 1t vastly inferior TO the latter
for dislnectlns purposes.n
..Was tile work OF covering the plague spot done
tnoroughyfi
mot at all. / noticed that the oil was spread
about where the muck and nltn had been oozing
out OF the earth but, nonsense, they would have
to spread the stuff all over the place every lew
days during the hot weather TO do any good. The
fact OF the matter IL that the wnole system OF
1liing IN sunken lots Is radically wrong and
should be changed The burial OF our dead
within the city limits Is prohibited as being detli.
mental to health. Cemetenes are, whenever
practicable. put as far as possible away from
thicEly populated settlements, ana yet the au-
thortles 20 TO work and RAISE up almost noun
tain,htgh TINS garbage, reeking wta decaYed or
ganic and vegetable matter. II is certainly one
OF the strangest anomalies have ever SEEN"
"wnat do you recommend Doctor, as inc best
plan to De pursued under the clreumstancesr'
There Is only one thing that can be uone with
safety, and taar is 10 Ill In tie sunken lors with
earth. Whenever a hiil or rising ground Is cut
down use tue earth and rocks 10 reclaim Low
lands. Garbage and street sweeplngs are not
proper Materials 10 use for sucn purpose; they
should 20 TO the farms 10 be used as ierrinzer as
is the case in London. Inc system Is no worse
now than 1t has always been. IremempsT nearly
twenty 1--we years ago. wnen Kip's Lay was being
filed in, that the same trouble arose. Now you
know that these mats extend right across the
backbone or Manhattan Island to the bouleyards
on the west siue the present system IL per-
sisted In tnat secron OF the city Will saner ~ the
future as We do now. The authorizes DO away
VITA slaughter houses and kinared nulsauces,
yet here We nave tns chronic garoage
nuisance ana nothiag practical Is done aoou.
n IL Idle 10 say tnat ashes IS good material 20
the oartnan wno viii take tie teou lie separate
asnes from garUageg There 10 a city ordinance, /
tnlnk, waicn REQUIRES two fece ptaces 70 oa paced
ter. aud, IN truth IL would require the whole
pence lorcs 70 enforce u, You mgnt from
lOais Of pure ashes, out tnaps only as drop Ia
WHAT SERGEANT KyEw.
The reporter next visited The station house in
East Elgaty-elgDth street, near toe river, The
sergeant on DUTY stated That the nIght previous
he was patrol duty and had iraverssd roe en-.
tire Injected district The reOef from the stencn
was very prerequisite. out OF best vas only ten.
dead OIL were sent 70 the mats on "a ur1ay last.
All Gay sunoaJ me1 were at WORK distributing u,
but On Monday morning he received the following
despatch :-"NotlfY Monaghan TO discharge ali OF
MS men but four.n But, said the sergeant, "rnat
Inc writer also cOuversed Win
A PRACTICAL CHEMIST,
who In speaking Of lie component parts OF dead
oil or refuse petroleum, SAID 1T has no chemical
disinfectng quality whatever, ana the spreading
answer student IN chemistry gave professor
VINO asked DIN what the eject or cnIorde Of lime
was. Well, II yUu spread some VI h IN a room 10
XII an odor, u smeds 50 badly you'll nave toopen
the windows 10 get some iresn arr Inc sum Total
Of this ulsufectne business - SIMPLY tae suDsti.
tuition OF one smell or another"
THE Authorities WAXING UP.
II - gratifying 70 know, however, that the
authorities can no lJnSes disregard DC overlook
TINS slamelul nuisance. IL Is ia vie " OF TINS TACT
mat the HERALD gives free insertion In Its meas
columns Of the following advertisement
DEPARTMENT OF PCnLtc woRks
CoNAssiOgzR's OFrICE. I
owners or ceRn earth lying within Reasonable haul.
Ninety street Fourth avenue and J5tn street. Dy
sweet and TSa avenue ish ses a Ga kye9
aud l0Stn street, VINO wall give the earth 10 the city
requested 70 give he Commissioner OF Public Works the
necessary authVrity by the list INST 70 remove
fITZ JOHN PoRIER
Commissioner Ut Pubic WORKS.
THE PILOT COMMISSIONERS TAKE ACTION.
Al meeting OF the Plot COMMISSIONERS held
with the Ponce Commissioners upon the pro oer
ais oson Of the city refuse. IL was also Resolved
that tue President should appoiut O co Amittee 70
confer with The Mayor on tue same subject. Ihs
actlOn was taken IA consequence VI tue receipt
from inspector Ihorne of communicating 10 the
erect that since anm ping on the Harlem mats had
beer prom Ulted lnc cltf garbage mad accumula.
ted untl lnege Was No place 10 put IT, anu, that
IL Is impossible 70 tow the sco6s OUTSIDE SaaUy
HOOK 1ItnOut sndaug0rIuS the HVes or tue men
employed on thenl, II was necessary 10 ask per-
MISSION 10 dump en- the HarDor. IL IL deemed
PROBABLE nat the commissioners wiA aavlse tue
adoptlou Of that melh0d " getting rid oi Rar0Ipe
wncn II nov IN use Ia Cork, ifelana, waere IN.
stead or lOrtY.tun sc4ws, vessels cafrslug from
500 10 tUU tons are used, when can Steam OUT TO
work u twenty scows aud o4r vii be suruolenI
Tor taa CAY.
GERMs OF pTsLAsr.