Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-08
DrsrAyE AND ITS rREvEx rIos
Some sensible Suggestions from nr,
Roekman.

EDITon SEsTTsEL: Having been q resi-
dent Of Eureka for nearly three years. and
in practice during this time, and having
studiousIy observed the most prevalent
diseases among US, l am constrained to lay
before our people the result OF my obscr-
vations, hoping it may attract the attcn-
ton of those most interested, and perhaps
be the means, ia a measure, Of remedying
the evils, and saving many lives.
The first TO notice, and q matter in
which every person in the community is
interested, is the ditch or water-course
running through the town. Every person
passing it cannot fail to have noticed the
bad odor arising from it. and that the
stencil engenders malarial diseases such as
typhoid and intermittent ~fevers, cerebro-
spinal meningitis, Group, diptheria, entire
It's and other diseases, as our grayeyards viii
bear witness.
Now, how can this be remedied / an
swer, that having conversed with many
prominent citizens, there is a plan which
will necessitate o very small outlay Of
money and prevent a contagion in our
midst, which must follow unless some steps
are soon taken to arrest r. In CONVEX
sation yesterday with one Of our lead
ing business men, he sng yested that to me
appeared to be a very feasible and econom-
ical method to cleanse this cesspool of filth,
at an outlay Of say $3.50, and ten minutes
time each day. The gentleman proposed
the erection Of a box two to three feet
square, and about Is to 80 feet in length,
with a gate which may be opened and
closed at pleasure the box to be placed
upon tie bottom Of the ditch, and each
day upon the gate being closed the ditch
may be easily flushed and cleansed. If
parents continue unmindful Of the health
Of their children, they must expect to meet
doctors and undertakcrs' bills, while the
old adage OF "ah ounce OF prevention
being worth a pound OF cure" is at hand
Some p, ople have told me they are in no
way interested in having the ditch closed
because III y reside at a remote distance
from it and, therefore would not sub
scribe towards r~emedying the evil. If
they would but reflect for one moment and
C ,nsider that contagious diseases extend,
they will perceive they are directly inter
essed as much so as are those living in the
i'm Mediate vicinity of the nuisance itself,
a. CJiltdSADl HAD DO iifG VI Eli hdtlui.
While on the subject, let me make a sug-
sc ,tion to the managers OF our smelling
fu .naces, the men working in and around
them, md to our miners and citizens gen.
orally. 1t is the received opinion that
men working in our furnaces and mines
become loaded" through inha1ing the
fu mes. l contend sue is not the fact; but
ra her by absorption through the pores of
the skin, since biology has demonstrated
it q fact, that the epithelial cells which line
the mucus membrane Of the bronchial
tubes, are provided by nature, as it were.
wi h brushes to prevent dust from entering
the lungs, t nus gathering the dust upon
themselves which is thrown off with the
m1cus by expectoration. In support of
this, it Is we'll known that the very worst
cases of lead poisoning are found among
painters and printers. who do not inhale,
but rather absorb by contact.
And now for the remedy: At a nominal
outlay to our rich companies, both at their
furnaces and mines, of a few bathing tubs,
in which the men may wash their bodies,
aud change their clothes when coming off
shift, the dust collected during work would
be removed absorption prevented, and the
cluse of ".e ading be also removed. 1t
is well known that in the large lead facto-
res Of Europe and elsewhere, with the
exception Of a spoonful of sweet oil taken
daily upon an empty stomach. the opera
tives use no other preventative, and lead
poisoning Is never feared. 1t has been
suggested by some physicians in this place
the necessity of chemicals in the bath for
the purpose of decomposing tie lead,
which, in my opinion, would only require
an additional expense, and be wholly I'M
necessary, as it certainly can make no diff
ference what may become OF the lead after
it is washed from the body. Therefore,
wash, wash, wash, and be healthy.
The urgency Of the matters discussed to
the whole community must, Mr.. Editor,
be my exs use for tresspassing upon your
columns to so great a length; but ii the
hints thrown out are acted upon, and my
fellow men benefited, then am / amply
repaid. NJ. RocKMAN, NJ. ID.