Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-22
RURAL DRAINAGE AND DIS
EASE.
BY II. Q. HovEY.

1t has been estimated that moro thar
. half the deaths occurring in cities are
, due TO preventablo causes. The vita
, statistics Of farming regions are not 81
easily obtained, but statements of re
sponsible physicians, having each {
large country practice, in widely sopa
, rated portions Of the United States
prove the Importance of judcious sani
tary measures in rural as well as mu
nicipal localities. One observes that
"one-third Of the autumnal sickness ol
this region might be prevented by
systematic drainage of farm lands
without detriment to their agricultural
value.' Says another, "about fifty pei
r cent Of our sickness might be obviated
by suitable sanitary precautions" All
agree that a large proportion of the
maladies coming under their notice
are attributable to the insidious poison
emanating from dccomposing animal
and vegetable matter.
The purest country air is less pure
than is commonly supposed a fact
demonstrated to visitors of Mammoth
Cave, who, on emerging after breath.
ing for several hours the air of the
cave, which is almost absolutely free
from noxious gases, find the outer air
laden with oppressive odors, and de.
pressing in its influence on the system.
Miasmatic exhalations arise from
every swamp, and wayside pool, from
the decaying forest leaves, and many
other objects that are hardly thought
of as prejudicial to good health. This
particular form of The evil reaches its
minimum in billy regions, where the
tilted strata supply natural drainage !;
while its maximum is found is such OK.
tensive areas as exists in Indiana, Iii.
nois, and other portions of the West,
where vast deposits Of alluvial and
lacustral soil cover nearly level sedi.
mentary beds, allowing but very slug.
gish removal OF marshy accumulations.
The cultivation Of the surface soil,
and the drainage made for Agricultural
purposes, have gradually redeemed
largo tracts of wet land in the regions
mentioned yet much remains to be
done, and ii is gratifying to see that
steps are being taken by some of the
States embracing prairies and broad
river bottoms, to investigate the rela.
ton between the hydrographical feat.
ures Of the country and the prevalence
Of malaria and zymotic.
State and local health commissions
are instituted with authority to collect
vital and sanitary statistics, and to
have charge Of public measures for re.
moving the causes OF disease from all
parts Of theState emitting, however,
two very important links from the
chain of aperfect organization name.
ly, police power TO enforce good health
laws in rural districts, and means to
defray expenses of Strengthening crook.
ed streams, TO increase the velocity Of
the current, digging canals to relieve
wet lands from overflow, and doing
other things that might cost consid.
cradle sum OF money, but would add
largely TO the reputation of the State
for salubrity, and thus bring rich
reward.
The first annual report of the Health
Commission of one OF our largest and
most stpopulous interior States has lately
appeared, full of facts as TO the dc.
ficient sewerage of cities, and its almost
utter neglect in smaller towns and
villages, and in rural localities also
showing the inevitable connection be.
tween the causes and prevalence of
forms Of sickness that might be en-.
tirely avoided by comparatively
small outlay, And what is true Of
Indiana would also be true of other
States similarly situated as to q lack
Of natural drainage,
Look at the still moro level State OF
Illinois, with its vast prairies and fer.
tile bottoms. The sewerage of all the
cities is emptied into the adjacent
streams, which have usually q sluggish
flow, and it is hardly asked winter the
reeking mass is distributed.
Often this seems TO be the only avail. |
able mode OF getting rid of it, all ex.
periments looking toward other meth.
DDS meeting with but slight success.
II is to be hoped that some apparatus
like the garbage destructor and car.
bonizer" described in late number of
the Scientific American, will be intro.
duced into all large cities for the con.
sumption of refuse without sending it
down some stream TO contaminato the |
surrounding country.
About ten years ago the course OF
the Chicago River was artifcially re.
versed, so that instead of running as
ithad done foragos into Lake Michigan |
it emptied itself and its accumulation |
of street filth and offal into the Illinois
River, coursing completely across the
State. The beneficial result TO The
city was very great but for lj0 miles
down the Illinois River loud complaints
were made Of q marked increase Of
zymotic diseases, and remarkable |
mortality among the fish, that stream |
seemed TO prove that the water had |
been poisoned, The fact is worth noting |
in passing, that the fish appeared to |
grow used to the changed condition of
affairs; but during the past Winter
the bound water not being properly |
oxygenatcd for long time, many fish
died, while others in immense numbers
oongregated below the dam at Henry,
where the constant agitation of the |
falling water would favor eration
And at the same time there was an
alarming prevalence of diphtheria at
Peoria and other places along the river.
This illustration shows the import
ance of State regulation of general
drainage, so that what is born away
rs a nuisance from one locality shall |
not be cast as an offensive burden on
another.
But suppose all to have been done
that can be effected by public health
organizations, much will remain TO be
accomplished by individual effort, in
response to appeals to an enlightened
instinct Of selfpresorvation.
Many farmers, otherwise we'll in.
formed, do not seem TO realize the fact
that gases arising from stables, pigpens,
and out-houses may poison the pure
country air as eilectually as the at.
mosphere in cities may be spoiled for
breathing by the same ellluvia spread
ing from neglected alleys or cesspools.
An the thrifty wives Of farmers, who,
forgotful of cleanliness, saturatc the
doory yard with wash waterand kitchen
sewerage thro'h all the Winter months,
should be taught that when that
ground sours and testers under the
Summer sun, the heat will ripon the
germs of disease rs surely aa Il will