The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-09-21
Miasms.

bInsSt becoming pci-oLed by miasms.
aud arc m8ch more difficult 20 cure
than 70 prevent, Farmer. may think
Themselves less exposed - tn. corrupt
ing iAfaence of mIasm than are the
i~eller. Of the village Or city. aud it Is
true tia, the a,r ot the country IS more
pure than the air o: the city. but il s
al~o true that in asDs are often found
lurking around the farm house Nor
are they confined 10 the river bottoms
and Iaw lands we have known them
To he prevalent in mountain towns.
High places ar not necessarily desti-
tote ef swamps and dcc.y.ag animal
aud vegetable MASTERS. aud - herevcr
these are fou"d the se.ds II disease are
generated
Mia.m j, such a subtle poison. pro-
Eagates itself. like yeast. ~ abun-
isntly. that Va desire 10 cali the ~
t.ntlon of farmers 10 the propagating
beds 10 which the iarm houses are par
ticulariy exposed. aud the first we
mention j. tn. cellar There are wont
To be stored lots Of vegetables for the
wants Of the family and the stock. II
is the wrong place. The barn should
have cellar just As necessarily IS the
house. Piles of vegetables will hea.
and corrupt more or less during the
Wluter. and as soon as spring opens
they of course begin TO decompose, in
order 10 recompense new vegetation.
The windows of the cellar should be
taken out, and the gangway thrown
open. and good circulation of air kept
up from this time till late ia Autumn.
Old boards and ali iecAying timber. rs
we'll as Old lime and other refuse,
should be removed, and whitewash ap-
Piled 20 the walls. and Stacked lime or
other disinfec,ants scattered upon the
floor.
Ii will greatly aid in promoting a
pure air in the cellar. and health III
the household if al opening be made
from the cellar into the chimney, so that
all Impurities may find vent up this
most convenient channel for ventila
ton.
Another great generator OF miasm In
the farmhouse, and, indeed. in all
houses. is the sink, which is too often
the sink Of ipiquity aud death. II there
is anything that will create vile odors
and sow the seeds Of disease il Is the
fermenting compound OF soap-suds.
dirt, and eliete exhalAtions from the
human body To be found III the wash
tub of the laundry.
What To do with the waste water OF
the sink aud wssh-tub is one of the
problems of country life which - not
fully solved Ii is too valuable to be-
lost. and too unhealthy TO be- kept near
the house. To throw 1t, IA many do.
from the kitchen door. and leave 1t
there TO confaminate the air. Is tempt
ing the grim messenger. Death. 10 shoot
his fatal arrows. Ii death should Ell
sue, there should nothing be said about
the mysteries of Providence. The only
mystery is that more sickness and death
do not result from the ma!arious atmos-
phere of the surface cesspool,
Probably the best mode of Kidding
the premises Of mlasm from sinks is to
conduct the waste water in iron or ce-
ment pipes to cesspool some distance
from the house, and keep this pool we'll
filled with some absorbent, such as dry
muck. fine charcoal. or loan. The sink
itself should be of iron. and furnished
with valve outlet. SO that the gases
from the pipes cannot return to tho
house. A wooden sink is apt to become
saturated with the odors generated in
the pores of the wood. Ii wood must
he used for s,nks, use "a solution Of cop
pcrss frequently to keep them whole
some
All stagnant water. all marshy places,
are fruitful sources Of miasm. Let the
marshes be drained and the hollow
places be filled up. Set out row It
white pines between the house and barn
To ward of or absorb the etlluviA; keep
the homestead in every way neat and
the air pure. and the health and com
fort of the household will amply COM
peusa,e for the labor " J. Times