The Portland daily press., 1880-04-19
GERMS OF DISEASE.
An Important Recommendation from the
Commissioner on Health.

Mr.. EDIToR:-In the report of the commits.
sion on public health, which was appointed by
Mayor Walker last summer, was a recommen-
dation that the entire system of accumulatiye
prives be utterly abolished. AS no steps have
been taken in this direction, however. and as
none are apparently contemplated, it behooves
us as people who have a regard for our COM
fort, our health and our lives, to do what we
can to mitigate a nuisance which we are indis-
posed to suppress. The report mentioned
above was published in both the morning
papers, and, therefore, it is unnecessary to re-
peat the arguments which were urged against
this method of disposing of excreta. Nobody
has attempted to refute them, and every
reason which existed for advancing them at
that time obtains with equal force now. Suf-
flee it to say that the united voice of the SAM
tary world proclaims them to be foremost in
the ranks of the disease-producing agencies
with which civilized communities have to con-
tend.
The subject is not attractive, but it is so i'm
portant that, in spite of its disgusting char
acter, 1 beg you to give publicity to few facts
and suggestions in relation to it.
In the report of the commission it was esti-
mated that 1900 carloads of night-soil were
moved in the preceding year. This was almost
certainly an underestimate; and, during the
year just ended the number of loads would
probably range between 1900 and 3OOO It is
impossible to calculate exactly the amount,
but almost every permit covers from two to
four loads, the humber varying according to
the size OF the vault. An inspection of the
records in the Marshal's office furnishes the
following account Of the permits issued from
April, 65; May, 1855; June, 100; July, 81;
August, AZ; September, IS; October, 81; No
vember, 81; December, 49, January, IS; Febru-
airy, l6; March, 27 total in one year 745. 1t
will be noticed that as many permits were is
sued in May, month when the weather is
usually quite warm, as in the five months from
the LIST of November to the LIST of April, period
when the temperature is peculiarly favorable
for the work in question In May, June. Jnly,
and August, months in which we have about
were given, very nearly one-half of the whole
number. In July and August, there were
more than hundred. Thusswe see that the
ordinance which forbids the emptying of vaults
from the last of June until the LIST of Septem-
Der, is practically ignored. The police say that
they issue permits during this period only in
cases where the vaults are overlooking (which
seems to show that the average citizen does
not think of removing the filthiest kind of filth
from his premises until it forces itself upon
his attention by reaching the top of the vault,
or, under the influence of excessive heat, by
emitting appalling stenches. Such thought
lessness has criminal look in the light of the
widespread information concerning the bane-
full influences OF putrefying ordure; but it will
doubtless continue unless frequent and forci-
BILE reminders call our people to a sense of their
danger and their duty. would therefore sug-
gest that the committee on health give an Off
clal notice to every householder that, if his
privy-vault is in such condition that, with
ordinary additions to its contents, it will need
emptying by the LIST of September, he must
have it cleaned before the LIST of July; and that
if the contents of his vault are found to be
within twelve inches of the surface (the limit
prescribed by ordinance) or in any way escap-
ing on to the surrounding land, he will be in
dicted for maintaining nuisance and punish
ed to the full extent Of the law. With such
notice as this no citizen could plead ignorance
OF the law, or rightfully complain if he were
heavily fined as the result of his negligence.
Furthermore, would suggest that if the CITY
government is to continue its sanction of accu-
mulative privies, it should amend the ordin-
ances so as to provide for the punishment of
all who have overlooking or leaky vaults at
any time of the year, and to prohibit under
penalty, the emptying of vaults from the list of
May until the LIST of October. By this simple
process one of the most disgusting of our NUS
ances would be greatly reduced in offensive
ness to the senses, and somewhat lessened in
its power for ill. F.H.G.