Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-11

gases into the premises. There should be en-
ployed, under the direction OF health officer,
competent person, whose duty it should be to
inspect all houses in course Of erection, and
investigate the construction and ARRANGEMENT
OF the sewers, sewer-traps, waste and drain
pipes. 1t should be necessary to have certif-
cate as to the correctness OF the sewers, sewer
traps and drain pipes ere the property could be
inhabited, and any person falling to do plumb
ing work properly, whereby nOyiOuS gases
might enter premises, should be liable to fine ~
The report recommends that the attention Of
Congress be invited to this subject also.
MEDICINES AND ATTENDANCE FOR THE POOR.
Under this head the report says: IS II there is
one subject more than another deserving of es-
pecial consideration, that subject is the pro-
the INDECENT poor OF the District of Columbia
Numbers OF these unfortunateS die annually In
the cities OF Washington and Georgetown for
want OF proper medical attendance and for
want of medicine; while untold suffering Is en-
tailed upon many that survive. Few people not
actually in contact with this class can realize
in the depths of poverty ever to know the pleas
ures Of hope. ever to experience the comfort
which the competent physician can bring to the
bedside Of the sick, ever to experience the ale
Walton OF suffering by medicine Few can
realize the misery of the family which must see,
without one spark of hope Of help, one OF its
number fastening to the grave. They must all
1esignedly await the course of nature. If the
paul er die, twas but as expected; If he survive.
1t is but to repeat the miSeries when
again he is stricken by disease. The Dis
brought TO her by certain peculiar causes which
have affected no other city. There are TO. ty
thousand negroes in the District. a majority OF
whom fiocked to the seat OF government just
after the war, expecting to gain an easy liveli-
hood and find perpetual employment al the
hands OF those who gave them freedom. But
reaction came,sand with it came hard times
and these people found that freedom had its
trials and fluctuations as well as It's Joys and
pleasures. Once imbued with love for the
excitement OF city life, they were 10th again to
return to farm and field and they have remain
ed in the ShantieS and hutS which fill the alleys
and back streets Of Washington and George
town. Poorly clad, ill-fed, and surrounded b.
filth and squalOr, they fall an easy prey to dis
ease, and are a constant care to the health al
thorltieS. There IS also q large number of Door
whites who find the struggle with existence a
hard one, and who, when sickness overtakeS
them. find it difficult TO procure medical atten-
ton. Many persons are annually attracted to
the national capital who by reason of the tedious
delays which sometimes attend legislation on the
procurement of official position, or through the
failure OF some cherished plan are thrown upon
the charity OF the District. Should disease over
take them in poverty there is no provision for
their case. There is no other city in the c0un-
try OF even half the population of Washington
out what makes provision for the medical care
or It's INDECENT poor. That many poor die from
lack OF medical care is illustrated by the fac.
that the health officer is called upon daily To in
Yeotigate the cause OF death in cases where no
physician has been in attendance, where m
medical aid whatever has been rendered. And
when we take into consideration the large Mum
Der who are attended gratutOusly by our ply,-
icianS, than whom no more charitable and self
sacl1flcin@ set CT men can be found. the great
necessity OF provision fOr this service must nra-
sent itself TO all.
INSPECTION OF LIVE STOCK.
The inspection OF live stock is essential 10 the
prevention OF the sale of unwhOleS0me food. a.
owners OF stock on the approach OF disease are
app 10 put their animals on the market, and the
meat is by having the killing of such animals
rendered impossible. There is now no pro-
vision made in this direction. and he urges the
passage OF a law requiring all animals destined
for food to be driven to a given point ana in-
Spected before being slaughtered, and such
course would keep more unwhoieSome maa;
from the people than could the combined Efforts
OF number OF men employed to examine it on
the market stalls. He says that he is seriously
embarrassed by the smailneSS OF the force given
him TO accomplish the work prescribed and ey-
pected OF him.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The health officer says that he has made a
thorough inspection of the public Schools III
company with two assistants. There are sixty
TWO OF there buildings, containing in all two
hundred and siXty-seven rooms, used for schoo!
purposes. Two hundred and four of these
schooiroomS are in buildings owned by the Dis
trlct; SlXty-three in buildings rented The build
lngs are OF all kinds and conditions. from the
paiat1al brick with lnanSard roof and trimmings
10 the tranSmOgritied market house and plain
wooden dwelling; from those with large airy
well ventilated, well drained and Handsomely
appointed app, rooms to damp dark easements and
The cOlOred schools being nearly all located
In buildings OF recent construction were found
TO he generally in better sanitary condition than
the White, and the buildings owned by the Dis
trlct 1ar superior in this particular to the rented
ones. The owned buildings are by no means
perfect, however, and in some of the fine st de-
1ectS OF serious character were found"
or the jefferson building he says: IAN in
spectlon OF this magnificent temple OF edlca-
non sI Illustrated out TOO plainly how easy it is
ior one to be deceived by appearances. All
toTe,' would be the most natural thought of any
casual observer, but like the charity which
covers multitude OF sins, the brown stone
'front.' OFTEN harbors numerous evils. Here You
nave wide airy rooms, from whence do you OBJ
tain the air to fill them?' he inquiries This air
IS heated TO an agreeable temperature, bat was
OF ventilation and drainage very attractive TO
the eye, do they accomplish the object desired?
or are there grave defects? These rooms are
ampl, lighted, but is that light properly an
plea: These are the important que Stions
w.ch arise in the mind of the sanitary expert.
ana some OF these, am sorry to say, had to be
opectlon disclosed the true conditions which
existed in the Jefferson building" He then
speaks OF the method Of obtaining cold air be-
ing lii detective, the mouth of one duct being
directly over sewer trap, and in every in
stance they are conducted under the ground
floors. He says the public has not yet an ade
quate conception of the danger of tmmerslng
the body in impure air. The building is Wei
ventilated but it is waste of ventilation if it is
directed against avoidable pollutions of the air.
NJ inc same defects, he says, were found in the
FRANKLIN building; the Thomson building is
defect1vely ventilated; the Sumner building has
Underground alr-ducts, and the rooms on the
ground floor of the j. F. Cook building are
poorly ventilated, and some are Over-croWded
He says: >" Whether or not school buildings
should be inhabited at all by families is uues-
ton. The ordinary duties attendant upon house
keeping, such as cooking, washing, &C., create
odors and impurities in tie atmosphere from
which buildings containing such number OF
persons should be free; besides there is the liza
o1llty OF the building being rendered unsuitable
for school purposes by the resident family be,ny
attacked by some contagious disease" He in,
NlteS attention TO the imminent danger In which
many children are placed in consequence of the
lnsufhc1ency OF properly-constructed and ar
ranged school rooms, and says: Every school.
] find, no matter where located or what may be
{ he size OF the room, has about the same nun
Der OF enthusiastically sixty. Whether In the
large, wide, and high rooms of the Franklin
building, or in the low, narrow apartments OF a
market house, each teacher is allotted the same
number of pupils. In the larger buildings
where provision is made for the constant supply
OF fresh air, and consequent displacement of
that rendered impure, we find as high as three
hundred and sixty cubic feet of air for each pu-
pm, while In some of the close, ill-venti-