Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-11-21
Hygiene.

"ySsc"cs
We have usually enjoyed relnarka-
bic health in this town. Contagious
diseases have seldom been known here,
and the general health Of the place
has been proverbial; but the present
season has developed much sickness
and some of it has been of virulent
character. There has been type Of
typhoid fever prevailing in town, in
some few cases resulting in death, and
in others patients have fingered upon
their beds for weeks in n critical con
dition. 1t has not been altogether
confined to the limits of the city. 4
few cases have been met with in the
country around. 1t is natural to in.
quire the cause of this sickness, Ply
sicians have been at loss to deter
mine satisfactorily to themselves. In
the country some have attributed the
disease to the increased acreage of
newly plowed ground, which, turned
up to the sun, has engendered a ma
laria which inhaled has produced the
disease; but this cannot apply to the
towu. We are therefore led to in
quire for other causes here. We sug-
gest several which may have produced
the results and should be carefully iii
qpired into by our authorities.
The town was principally built in
lS6l-'62. The structures were of
logs and lumber, and placed princi-
pally down upon the ground or near
the ground, with but little or no cir.
culation Of air underneath. Many of
the floors were Of green lumber and
single. The lumber has shrunk in
seasoning, leaving large seams through
which the sweepings, water and filth
of the rooms have gradually passed
and formed masses Of filthy debris,
which has remained confined for years,
emitting unhealthy gases escaping
through the seams to the rooms occu-
pied by men and families. Timbers
and lumber left in contact with the
earth has decayed, emitting other I'M
healty gases. Back yards and privies
have been in close proximity, the
vaults Of which privics have stood for
years without cleansing and without
turning into them any disinfectant.
Again, during the past year there has
been much more irrigation of yards
and gardens in the town than in any
former year, and vegetation has been
much more rank. Again the water of
the new ditch which passes through
the town has been covered with plank
through the seams betweea which es-
capes the confined gases that arise
from the sides Of said ditch, the water
Of which rises and falls, and the sides
Of which gather filth that is thrown
into the ditch above the portion which
IL covered. Our people all walk along
on the plank Of this ditch through the
town, using it as their principal prom
enade, and they are constantly IN
haling whatever gases escape through
tho seams in the planking, All these
things are much against the laws of
health. Again, in former years, we
have been visited with numerous wind
storms which have driven from the at
mosphere Of the town most Of the
malaria with which it was pregnant,
and we have thus escaped sickness;
but not SO the present year Our
wind storms have been far less. We
have instanced these facts to call at
tention Of our citizens, and especially
that Of our city authoritiesto investigate
them and make some provision, If pos
sible, to avert future sickness by re-
moving these causes if found to oper-
ate against the health of the town
A hint to the wise is sufficient.
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