The New York herald., 1875-12-27
More Information Of 1t Given
TO the Health Board.
HOW TO OVERCOME IT.
Suggestions for Making New York
a Healthy City.

Masm is like the shadowy giants or the immortal John
Bunyan that flee before the firm step OF advancing
civilization, IT. Rome, it again threatens the
rstreating Masm outrage and disgrace whether
in Rome or In New York to-day as IN the form OF
yellow fever II New Orleans till the besom OF
Butler swept it away forever-f the city still kept
clean.
In the present paper, which will endeavor to ofrer
some hints toward prevention and cure IN the future,
the order will bs observed in the preceding
of papers and the consideration OF private and
Individual duties viii follow the discussion upon our
civic and general prophylactics
The public duties are delegated to several bodies OF
officers bureaus or commissioners, as may be- Among
these prominent should be the Board OF Health
This Board is clothed with wonderful power that
spend money without limit; that can close a building
shut up street. enter mans dwelling place take him
from his bed with notice. pull its walls down, rip up
its hoors incidentally destroying property, business
and spreading gloom and panic not only throughout its
especial domains, but seriously affecting the health,
happiness monetary ofth entire continent
What have they DONE what do they do2
If We should Judge their actions by their own state.
ments it is little enough. Tho Board is cumbrous
with many members and with large pay-none too large
however they did anything for it. What does their
own "report for 1872, the last published, show? 1t
would take microscopic to discover 1t gives series
OF tables which are valueess. 1t rehearses tho
stereoyped ideas OF ventilation and garbage and sewers
and the result is nothing practical nothing advanced
nothing that has not been better said before Com
pare with reports OF the State Board Of Health
for Massach usetts :" but any comparison impos-
slble place them side by side The pertinency OF this
juxtaposition may apparent when it is re-
membered that the population Of New York city in
1872 was estimated 600 o00 and that OF the entire
State OF Massachusetts at but BAL 542. The report
with slight changes Of figures would answer for New
York city for any number of years The Massachusetts,
report is volume pregnant with facts teeming with
medical lore; not only fully up to the times
IN hygenic knowledge, but it leads the with fresh
facts profound deductions and wide-sweeping OBJ
servatons- Take the titles of few articles in the
last two numbers "Sewerage-Sewage-Th Pollu-
ton OF Streams-The Water Supply OF Towns" 'The
Food OF the People OF Massachusetts 'The Value OF
Health to the State !" ''Our Meat Supply and Public
Health " The Ventilation Of Railroad Cars;" s'Crema-
ton and Burial-An Examination Of Their Relative
Advantages"
Into these articles and such as these are condensed
the verbiage figures and fancies of the many crude
writers whose reports lumber up the pages OF our
report.
IL would not be rash to say that the 'medical public
Board OF Health some Of the antecedents
Of consumption" contains original ideas and
views Of more actual value than be found ali the
united reports OF New York city since the establish
ment of the Board OF Health.
Now why is thiss Simply because the New York
Board OF Health is political reward taken for its pay
while the Massacnus Board Is position OF honor
gwen to men eminent in science, imbued with profess
sonal ardor and held, II not for all tme on good be-
hayior. The New York appointee says:-"It is So 900
per annum and only takes TWO hours day.n But the
Importance OF the place demands something than
routine. The present Board Of Health is no improve
ment upon the old City Inspectorbut costlier Then
had some one responsibe now the complaints OF
entire city are uttered IN vain for they are distrb
uted and divided among four each OF whom says, at
was the other ones business
Let imagine the Board Of Health paid that they
deem this their business and not temporary adjunct
and snecure; will invite the Croton Water Board
join u.s. and together Will visit the great aque
dnct and trace it through TO the primal springs. We
shall lind the reservoirs iu of fish, We Will recognize
that few of the sucker and carp variety
are beneficial, for they eat up the green slime,
moss and aqueous vegetation. We will have each
reservoir thoroughly cleaned every after being
completely emptied we will have all the superuous
fish caught and killed and sent to the public insttu-
tlons for food Of the inmates Ees turtles and all
carnivoreus FISH, perch and catfish should be entirely
eradcated yearly for they serve no good in cleansing
IL from impurities and only make dirtn by killing
other fish. With greatly diminished fish culture
reservoirs great source OF impurities will be
swept away. The seagulls and crows spoken OF in
previous paper, having then no cause for coming, Will
cease 10 add their nauseous dehementa
Coming to the reserve pond reservoirs, we would
completely encirce them with fence keeping out all
cattle AT times of very low and II possble by
the occasional temporary draining OF them, would
al annually scrape away all sticks, dead leaves
agied iern grasses hchen, reeds THIS at least will
II cent the cold niusions which are city beverage
ior yeral months every year
next comes the great question OF the day not of New
York only but OF the world the prevention OF the pou
ton Of s streams and ponds Of fresh water We shall
try do something for the present day and have
regard Tor future days. When the Croton River was
first damned Tor our city life very few lived It's
banks; farm houses and cattle yards nfrequent.
To-day villages are located on its banks and It's trbu
taries and their sewage, their waste, eventually
empty INTO It, The Board Of Health should see TO it
that the OF any drain or sewer or gutter
should be prevented, that no barn drains or yards
should be located on It's banks IL may be necessary
for that end 10 purchase belt OF land OF suitable width
all around each pond and on every river bank; these
strips OF territory would act litter for the purica-
ol all the water which might penetrate through il
from the adjacent country. With this fringe of land
adorned with shade trees the happiness we'll the
salubrty OF the community adjoining would be sub
served Furthermore, they would prevent the drying
up Of the streams and sprngy land adjoining protect
the banks from being washed away by the winds and
waves, and also do all woodlands by
attracting moisture TO the locality and consequent
The cleansing Of these ponds during the low water OF
summer need not be Of any great cost, inasmuch
the compost material removed would be very valuable
for agricultural purposes But what IL may ii
should be done most efeetualy after every yearly leaf
fail
hi order 70 control the smaller brooks and feeders
let the Board Of Health memorable the Legislature 10
conformity with the statements made ia the Massa.
chusetts Report Tor 1873, from which We copy few
paragraphs
GREAT ARE RUBLIc PROPERTY
"By provision Or our forGfathers the GREAT
ponds Of Massachusetts, are, with very few exceptions
public, and not private property
'Great ponds, containing not more than ten acres,
we're by the colony ordinance made public, 10 be In
common for public use-the boundary q natural
pond extending only to low water mark.
''TLey indeed possessions of great value capable
or being made 70 supply most Of cities and towns
with the means OF promoting temperance and health
Of giving them abundance II the great essentials Of
comfort and convenience and Of encouraging every
os useful Industry.
''Bu Their value IN the future depends upon tho care
which Is taken TO protect them from pollution Cities
and towns extending IN every direction and
encroach their shores Unless this danger
Is appreciated and guarded against Of the ya
uabe lakes VIII become the recepAces for sewage
and the most precious Inheritance Of the founders Of
Massachusetts, will be squandercd and los, forever"
II would require but the substitution 0f few
Of places make these paragraphs and many others
equally applicable 70 the city and state 81 New York
We need State legislation to control the sources Of
Of our water, aud need constant vigilance the
part authorities 70 such remedial provis-
ions may obtain from The Legislature thoroughly