Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-01-05


material, stagnant water on premises,
vacant lots and unoccupied dwellings
used for priyy purposes, etc., etc.
The list is long and sickening,
and the map looks like a battle
field, full of ghastly sights.
This is not pleasant picture to draw,
nor have we colored it stronger than
the reality. There are at least $4,000
nuisances in the city, including over
half that number of privies. The
legislative council passed an ordinance
requiring all these vaults to be cleaned
out. The entire force available in this
citysscan clean about fifty of these
places per day. Up to this time,
according to the report of the health
officer, about one hundred persons
have complied with the law. 1t is
practically dead letter. The rich men
like Mr.. Appenson resist it; and the
poor complain that they are not able
to bear the expense. Many people are
quietly calculating to go away next
summer, fever or no fever, and whether
their premises are put in good order or
not We did look for boom in sani
tary reform, but it has not doomed
very loud yet The enthusiasm of the
people is not worked up to a very high
pitch The most of them we believe
will try to pay the two per cent. tax,
and leave the rest to the local govern
ment. This is all right as far as it
goes, but the authorities need some
thing more; they require the moral
support and hearty cooperation Of the
community. Every man should con-
stitute himself sanitary ser
geant of one to see that his
ownpremises were putin good condition
1t is safe to say that of the enormous
aggregate Of nuisances above given,
fifty per cent. at least could be abated
within the next twenty-four hours at
a merely nominal expense by such in
dividual effort. Thus far very little
Of this kind of work has beensdone.
Memphis is in about the condition to-
day that it was on the first day of last
November. Warm weather will be
on us before we know it, and then it
will be toolate to do anything until near
the end of the year. The authorities
are doubtless doing the best they can
with the limited means and force at
their command. We have set forth
this unfortunate state of affairs in no
fault-fnding or captious spirit, but il
possible to arouse to people to the Inn
portance of immediate and united
action. And we will supplement this
| by the suggestion that the citizens
auxiliary sanitary association be re.
vived and set to work at once-not ia
supersede in any way the local author.
| tiles, but to act entirely under and
through authority derived from the
legislative council and the local boarC
of health. 1t cannot be expected thai
business men will give much of theil
valuable time to such matters
at this season of the year
but after organizing, they
would employ competent sanitary di-
rector or executive officer who would
carry out their ideas and do much tc
secure the efforts of the president o.
the board of health and its officers.
1t was by such corporation that
New Orleans, after the epidemic Of
1878 was so thoroughly purged and
purified, aud hence had only few
sparodic cases in 1879. In addition tC
central auxiliary association VIC
could get up local organizations il
each ward and thus still further pro
mote the cause of sanitary reform anC
> aid sthe city board Of health. The
world will judge us by the efforts We
make to get out of our troubles, and il
will be no mild judgment if we fail tt
make the most of our opportunities
and means. The sooner we realize
the situation and grapple this grea
question like sensible, practical men
the better. This is no time fol
dallying or halfway measures. TIT
patient is very sick and ndrequires stronl
medicine,