The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-19

In consequence the ground under Inc nOnse H.
along side. The bricks are porous; water finds
its way 70 the lowest point and under the house
the ground 10 always damp aaab ife %.
mont or asphalt flooring Ii used under houses
It should Be placed at sufficient depth to ALLOW
very eonsidsrabe & 81 water which
occurs ii our changes from low to high temper
Rtures. Ample mir spaces and ample yentlla,
ton must be secured beneath lower floors 81
dwelling houses. The lower edge OF the jQistf
supporting lower fQorg Of houses should be
thirty inches above the inner edge Of tho ban;
quetLe. With this elevation properly rounded
i np filling under the house and the rise Of the
ground given BY the. grade Of ,three-.iourths OF
n nss to e be feet bs w gpf s e noW
ample space for. free circulation OF air. The
height Of thirty inches should be considered 9
high now. the soil Of every oily steadily rises By
unavoidable accumnlatiOns. IN twenty years
houses elevated as suggested will probably % pa
near the surface as will be barely permissible
In brick houses the same rule should DO OBJ
served: larger ventilatore and more OF them
floors than is now customary. The iron plates
now inserted afford little room for the passage
OF Dir. by. enormous friction, offer great OBJ
structton 10 it's movement, and the openings
closed BY spiders webs. TO secure proper ven
hoaah such 81 yen sRas s
sure OF hurricane. The remedy ~ the inser-
ton or more open yontila'ora In greater mum
/ fues from the air space below the floors to open
air above the roof. These can be constructed
In the chlmneys OF the building and will create
| the surface Of the earth. drying the jOiets and
the flooring. will prevent the growth OF fungi
and consequent decay. OF the wood. the I'M
pleasant musty odor Of mOuldy carpets mat
flngs and floors. 30 perceptible IN many 81 our
best houses VIII disappear greatly to the i'm,
proyement OF health and efle,t Ing marasd
50 ventilated will have no more tendency to de-
cay than the floors Of second stories TO get
ground floors Of brick houses. compatible with
security Of the representations. is the great dis
ideratum, and Its attainment will require the
builders
The present mode Of construction OF the
floors OF buildings devoted to tho purposes OF
trade ID fnultyiD tho extreme. When 1t II neces-
sary that floors should rest upon the earth.
their material should Do stone tiles u. other
substance impervtous to moisture. and be laid
Ia hydraulic cemcuf or asphalt. Ground
floors Of wood should not BE- allowed Ia any
building devoted to any purpose. except that
they Du provided with air spuces beneath
them. and such arrangements for continual
and frequent change Of tho contained afr % will
secure Thorn from decay. Eyory ton to twenty
moved and mnrked impr 1yement u the pub
lte health cannOt be expected while theHa
masses OF Wood. are allowed 10 20 to decay
Floors properly laid would not only be more
healthful, but would not wear out. The annual
expense OF this useless and deloterious decay
of floars. In the aggregate. is enormous. Niue
better spend tho money In building new and
salubrtous homes for tha people
70 improve, and rendor stable tho health Of
New Orleans these evils must % remedled.
Correct public sentiment. based on sound
knowledge. Ia necessary. To attain this. de-
s!rable end, then. must DO obtained, upon three
Of tho sanitary authorities Of the city. the Board
of Health. as representing preventive medi-
cine: ~ representing curative medicine; the
views also If the Medical aud Surgical Aasocia-
ton. u body Of mon. fortunately for tho city,
deeply sensible OF the Value of the science OF
preventive medicine. and actively engaged both
In Its study and exercise,
The help of the press la also absolutely neces-
90 gained. and 70 faithfully and continuously
lessons of hygiene. A tenement act Is re-
aulred for the city: indeed. ono might also.
with greaT ayantage DC enacted Tor tho Whole
shall be erected or used w human habi'ation.
except the lot BE- suitably filled and drained.
sauitnry and medical authorities may advise.
and tho legal advices Of the nssoention deem
compatible with constitutional restrictions.
committee OF the association must needs
be charged with this subject at once. perhaps
tho most important and prac icable Of all the
undertakings deemed desirable by the santa
We're proper legislation had. and exemplary
obedience exacted the evils under discussion
could not increase. for All buildings accident
ally and Intentionally DESTROYED or declared
uninhabitable by the Board nf Health. would be
replaced by healthtul houses. and atneinra.
ton Of the present unsatsfsetorry condition OF
the city steadily proceed With accession OF
commercial prosperity the progress could be
rauid, houses could BE- lacked up.''' mud md
water holes under houses be immediately filled
by prompt execution OF a ptemptory mandate,
AMI sudden Improvement In public health be
effected But II principle and practice are cor
rect i the community nm fare N the right direc
goes far" and surely.
II has been suggested that BIZ suitable leglsla-
sanitary evil existed and been pronounced by
the proper authorities q nuisance injurious and
dangerous to health. and ordered abated. the
work SO done could be dtade lion on the prop
erty and be due next after taxes.
Had this association ample funds liberal
portion could be. we'll employed III loaning at
q very low rate or interest. or without Interest.
to persons Of limited means money to enable
them to fill and drain lots, or do other sanitary
improveme at ordered by the proper authorities.
ton. why the death rate Of the city as whole.
cannot be expected e. BE- quite 50 low g ths fa-
tary history has been gvon; but before you. the
members of the New Orleans Auxiliary SAM
tary Association. ! lay the fact Of city In Q
OF s2.73 per thousand per .annum. and over
against IL the fact Of a considerable portion Of
The same city suffering. during the same year
the loss OF only six per thousand.
The facts are extraordinary. Instructive and
Apropos 81 this subject Dr. White read the
following:
From the last monthly report of the veteran
sanitarian, Dr. Edwin NJ. Snow. OF Providence.
r. T.. / make quotation bearing on the topic
uuder discussion. For thirty consecutive years
DR.. Snow has been health officer Of Providence.
and In consequence Of hts vigilance, no cpl
demic OF small -pox has occurred In that city
during his period OF service.
There were nineteen deaths from scarlatina
and eight from diphtheria ~ September. Scar
parently becoming epidemic, Dlphtheris s no
victims where the local causes exist. We must
repeat the warning. 80 often given in these re-
ports to parents. TO look for and thoroughly re-
move the causes of diphtheria, typhoid fever
and scarlatina which exist upon their own
premises.
We have had occasion recently to know that
some very intelligent persons have been fret
ting and troubling themselves about certain
sensational newspaper articles. describing some
conjunction Of the planets. which. 1t is said, Is
to bring disease as we'll as many other calRm1-
ties. during the present year, upon the human
race.
The time Ia forever mast when any one can