The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-10-06
Public Sanitatiom---SO. III.

gestion OF the Board OF ilealth OF
Columbis:
The SuB-SoIL AS a FILTER.-lt
is very certsin we have put too much
confidence IL the purifying powers OF
the soil. there is not only limit to
its powers, but there are also ccndl-
tions essential to its action as purl-
fer. The water of slops and sewerage
aud human excrement buried near
our wells will not be made pure and
fit for drinking by tiltering through a
few feet of earth, except under most
favorable conditions What are the
conditi. rs favorable to its purifica,
ton? The great and most essential
requisite is free circulation of air
through the ground. This, the chem
lists tell US, acts through its oxygen
upon the impurities which the soil
strains from the dirty water, and ozi-
dies or burns them. Therefore, to
get the best results as a purifier, the
ground charged with impure liquids
should have AL interval before wet
ting it again, in which it would be
come SO dry that the atmosphere
may follow the receding liquids and
destroy What the filth has strained
from them. But if no interval for
drying is permitted, if the ground is
kept constantly wet to ssturation'
then it is quite certain tho air cannot
enter, the Impurities are not oxldlzed
but accumulate; the ground no longer
acts as purifier, Tut on the other
hand the increasing mass of filth ln-
corporated with it takes on its own
chemical action and is prolific IN the
production of mephitic and poisonous
gases, which ascend to the upper air
to work their unwholesome action up
on all who breathe them. 1t is easy
to understand which Of these ccndi-
tiuus is maintained by these flth,pits.
The exudation from their bottoms and
sides is nearly constant; the Intervals
of supply are so regular and frequent
that no opportunity occurs for the air
to restore the filteriug power of the
soil. Thus the fouliug process goes
on, and after few weeks or months
there is no clean earth between the
we'll and these sources of pestllential
supply to it, aud every drop Of water
from them carries with it its atom Of
filth.
If we could for time enjoy the
powers of vision which the elairvoyant
erofesses to have, and could peer into
the sub-soil through dozen feet of
earth, a revelation would be made
which DOW we little realize. Unsus-
pected iufiltratipns of filth, obstructed
drains, stagnant water aud stagnant
air, subterrauean channels radiating
from our cellars aud wells 70 the va
rious filth pits by which they are sur
rounded would meet our astonished
eyes, while many stenches, more con-
centrated and varied than the per-
fumer ever thought Of including IN
his list for the toilet, would assault
our disgusted noses, and thus through
our offended senses We might be con-
victed of living in more dangerous
familiarity with filth than the brutes
in their natural state.
This state Of sub-soil nastiuess is
almost wholly due to the heleakings from
the cesspools and privy vsults which
pollute our whole city, and which, BY
your recent bylaw, you require shall
in future be made water tight, IN Or
der that the most loathsome corrup-
tion and deflement of our homes
may not be increased. It'll quite inl-
possible to conceive any more scanda-
lous imputatiou upon our domestic
life than that We are frequent victims
of infectious diseases, which we incur
through the action Of our own excre-
meat, which our extreme h'thiness
permits to mingle with our air and
food and drink. The dangers which
attend the liberation Of these subter-
ranesn reservoirs of foulness cannot be
computed. DR.. John Simon, the CREST
ssnitarian of England, writing on this
subject, says: "The pathological stu
dies of late years, including eminently
certain very instructive researches,
which Professor Sandersea has con-
Quoted, have clearly shown that in the
septic fermeut, or 10 some
ferment or ferments not hitherto to
Be separated from it, there reside
powers of disease production as posi-
tive as those which reside in the va
rioloses and syphilitie eontsgia."
There is bat little doubt in the
minds Of those who best understand
the subject, that if It were practicable
to effect the prompt and complete re.
meval of all excrementsl matters, aud
all other organic wastes, to such dis
tauce that We should have no futhe7
contact with them, then wou!d siuu!-
saueous!y disappear from our midst
certain Of cur most grave aud tsta!
diseases, espeeslly those Of the iotes-
tines. We might slso reasonably eS-
pect relief from ms}srisi diseases,
which are. with remarkable unsnimi;y,
attributed to esn&natious from the
ground. If the above views Of the
dangers attendant upon open-wstled
6lth-vaults are well founded [snc they
accord with the opinions Of the best
sanitarians,} then there can be no
doubt of the wisdom Of Your act;on
in requiring that degree Of protection
which will be gained by making them
w&ser-tight. It is quite sppagent.
however, that such protection is culy
partial, and that complete immunity