The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-07-21
THE RACK BAY NUISANCE.
A Physicians Testimony.

Mr.. EDITORIALS came home last evening
was meditating upon the fact that the last
five patients visited were all sick, as believe
from the same morbific cause, and that cause
one which need not and ought not to have an
existence. The first two cases were in a we'll
cared for clearinghouse, favorably situated
between Congress and Cumberland streets. A
young man had narrowly escaped with his life
from severe typhoid fever, and relative, who
had come from the country to help take care of
him, had been seized with cholera morbus The
former asked me what would be the earliest
possible day on which he could safely start for
home, adding eff we don't get away soon. 1
am afraid the rest of them will get down sick,
too, from the awful stencil that comes in the
windows soma nights from the Back Bay
The third was another case of typhoid fever.
The house, well cared for in all its immediat,
surroundings, was situated near the corner of
Anderson and Oxford streets.
The fourth was a second case of cholera
morbus; location on Hanover street, near Port
land street. asked the lady if she knew what
brought on the attack. 'Yes," was the reply,
s'the stencil from the Back Bay" and she
added, lit is SO awful at night that we have to
shut the windows, and we oftsn feel sick and
tired in the morning instead of refreshed from
nights Sleep"
The fifth was case of cholera infantum on
Deering street. The father, living in one Of
the finest residences of our city, told me they
were frequently obliged to shut their windows
these hot summer nights, to keep out fearful
stencil from the 'tmll-pond' at the foot of the
hill, which receives, and dams IN, too, the
sewerage from all the territory northwest OF
Congress, and between Grove and Green
streets.
These were not selected cases, but followed
each other in the course of ordinary profess
sional visitation. Such groupings occur In the
experience of all our physicians, and the mag
nitude of this evil was forced anew upon my
mind BY the fact that the five patients last
seen, living in different sections of the city,
were all afflicted with severe and dangerous
diseases, apparently resulting from the same
gross violation on the part of the city OF one of
the most obvious and universally admitted
laws of sanitary science.
Nor is this emptying OF sewerage into a
damned up mill-pond, and upon Back Bay
flats, bad as it is, the only evil Of the kind to
which we are exposed. The harbor docks at
low tide, leaky culverts exhaling poison at the
street corners, and unventlated sewers, tell
their own tales aloud.
know that the public mind is already some
what awake on this question. know that our
excellent Mayor and City Engineer are earn
estly considering what can be done, and that
the City Council is by no means indifferent to
the matter But I fear few of our citizens
realize the magnitude of the sickness, danger
and loss which are actually and continually
resulting from this evil of defective sewerage,
and therefore offer this bit of testimony for
the consideration of those interested.
Something should be done, and done prompt.
In for n m q
things be allowed to exist which compels us to
take in the germs of disease with every breath
we draw?
ISRAEL T. DANA, NJ. D.