The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-06-21
TIE WEEKLY fNTFs.sIGENCER
Official Press of King County
Friday, June 81, 1878.
DEATH IN THE AIR.

and this cause is usual remedlable. Inc
source of cholera, yellow fever and
other great pestilences that have
scourged the world time or two in the
past. has been traced to the great de-
posits of garbage and filth collecting
at the mouths of the Ganges and Hoang
Ho, from the drairage of the populous
hives of China and India floating
down these streams and being thrown
back at their mouths by the tides.
Like causes produce like results, the
world over. Whenever efiiuvium can
be scented in the air, from whatever
cause arising. there are seed-germs OF
disease permeating the neighborhood
on every breeze. Diptheris, ague,
malarial fever, influenza, aud 9 thou
sand maladies are occasioned or aggra-
waited in every community by the in
complete and defective drainage that is
tolerated almost without concern.
The New York ySaritarian. treating
on the subject, says:
Whatever diversity of opinion may
exist as to contagiousness OF diphtheria
after its outbreak, there Is no donbt OF
the origination Of this dreaded disease
from "excremental pollution OF respired
air :" typhoid fever too is often unques-
tionably traccable to sewer poison
ing :" cerebro-spinal meningitis is sta
tistically connected with defective
house drainage; it has been mooted
among epideniiologists whether scarlet
fever may be generated anew by blood
posing from such sources. Apart from
these graver manifestations, however,
there is an almost infinite variety of
obscurer disturbances of health which
too many good people are apt resign
edly to attribute to the will of Provi-
dence, instead of searching for their
remediable material causes. Habituoi
headaches arrangements of the diges-
tive organs; enteebled appetite and
nausea frequent transient feverish at
.acks; q general condition of malaise
and pallid invalidism these are COM
mon results of the deterioration of the
blood by constant respiration of con-
taminated air, which, furthermore,
through its effect in lowering vitality,
is potent in predisposing to acute in
fiammatory diseases, and in developing
such constitutional taints rs scrofula ano
copS Reeb POISONOUS gases out of our
houses we must first inquire how they
get in, and for this purpose an early
inspection of the cellar may be instruc-
tive.
Even If a cellar be properly cement.
ed. it usually contains vegetable mat
ter aud rubbish enough to render it OIL
undesirable source from whence to de-
rive ones breathing supply. and under
no circumstances should furnace be
tolerated which does not draw In pure
air from the outer atmosphere.
All hygienists of repute agree that
the only effective safeguard against the
ingrsss of vaporous foes of this sort lie:
in the absolute oisconnection of the
house. pipes from tho cesspool or sewer
by intsrposing, outside of the house
walls. ventilating trap, which shall
intercept and dismiss into the outer at.
mosphere all regurgitating gas. OF
suoh traps several different patterns
have long been favorably known
abroad mono of them, however. more
perfect in their working than that re.
Gently introduced by the Messrs. Stew.
art here. With one of these simple APP
planes out-of-doors, cellar tigb,
and dry. and indoor drain pipes with
out material. leakage. domestic life
would be secure from the worst Of its
invaders. What other morbid inhuen-
ces beset it may be worth describing in
. future communication.
Stsgnaut putrescense from factoric,
and yards. however. aud the undis.
posed of discharge of sewers, is the
most formidable cause of pestilencc and
ill-health iu tho community. In cur
own city for instance the discharged
sewage 10 caught by the food tide and
thrown back under our noses along the
beach. Now that we have q re-estab.
lished city government on solid foun-
dation. it is time that steps were taken
to provide for the public health i'm this
regard by carrying the sewers out into
permanent deep water.
II will be requisite to establish line
of water front below the limit of low
tide. and build out thereto across 10y a
rock or crib-work bulkhead and filing
the mouths of the drains being carried
beyond into fresh and flowing water,
Or else all the drains should be made
to discharge iuto receiving tanks. and
arrangements be made for emptving
which regularly and constantly by
transfer to the soil, where it may be
utilized for fertilization.