The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-20

and the better opportunities To- gam
wealth and reputation. They are able TO
derive much benefit from consultations
and from attending society meetings In
cases OF epIdemics they are able TO CO.
operate with the municipal authorities ! n
Gscertaining the cause and applying rem
edies. In this city provision is made
every summer for supporting . Tree hos
pilal on or near the water for the benefit
Of women and children. There are even
societies for supplying the sick In hospit.
ais or their own houses with flowers and
deliCacies. A stranger falls In the street
in an unconscious state. He tnds him
self, on TegRiDing his senses, IN Q we'll
furnished apartment and surrounded by
physicians and nurses,
Avery different state OF Affairs existstD
The country. Therea are no health ofiCeIs,no
sanitary inspectors, no hospitals, no pest
houses, no public regulations, no public
pbysiCians, no free d~ispensaries. There
are drug stores, but they are frequently
several miles distant from the homes Il
farmers who patrouize them, and they ale
not as well supplied with medicines al
similar establishments In larger towns,
some one practices the healing. art IN
nearly every country village, aud gener;
ally discharges the combined duties Of
the physician, surgeon and dentist. Inc
cou try doctor 10 generally oVeTwoTEed,
and is Obliged to spend much OF his time
In visiting his patients at q distance from
| nis office. He ordinarily receives less credit
than is due him, but from the nature Of
his situation be- can acquire neither knowl
edge nor the skill Of the city practitioner
TuR WATER SUPPLY IN THE COUNTRY.
Since the time the song Of THE Old
Oaken Bucket" was written, and perhaps
for centuries before, people have believed
that the open well as found in the vicinity
OF most farm houses supply water the
"purest and sweetest that nature can
| Weld" 1t Ia true that nearly all natures
springs and many wells afford very excel
lent water for drinking and culinary pur'
poses, But It Is also true that a very large
proportion OF the water consumed in the
country Ia very bad. 1t would not be tol'
Grated for supplying the inhabitants oil a
large city, In some cases II 10 taken from
streams that contain all sorts OF vegetable
and animal impurities. In very many in'
stances the water that falls from the roofs
Of buildings Is conveyed through dirty
lToughs into wooden Cisterns, where II 10
stored for the use Of the family. II con.
tains all the impurities OF the air as well
as thoee on the roof, in the troughs, and
in the Cistern. What Ia worse, II Ia con-
constantly aCCumulatirg impurities in the
place where 1t Ia stored. II becomes worse
the longer It 10 kept. No filter, however
.oal nnn ran,nua oil Nha fORniOn RN h,
stances 1t contains, 1t has q dissRreeabie
color, flavor, and smell, One long RCCus.
toned TO the use Of the water may not no.
lice them, but they are apparent TO per-
SONS who have been in the habit OF using
water that Is comparatively pure. Most
wells that afford excellent drinking water
are go carelessly managed that they be
come reservoirs Of all kinds Of filth. Veg
etable matter Of various SORTS flows into
them and becomes ~deCOmposed. Small
animals and various sorts OF vermin fall In
the wells and die, and as their deComposi.
| ton Ia slow, their presence Ia not noticed
for many months. When q farm we'll is
cleaned out, the beholder 10 generally nau
seated at the mess OF corruption he sees
taken from 1t. Many wells are 60 situated
that the filth Of the barn yard, the pig sty,
and even the privy finds its way to them
The liquid from these places must flow
somewhere, and % the we'll Ia the nearest
outlet for drainage, It passeslnto 1t through
the porous soil. Sometimes surface water,
after heavy rains, flows into wells.
DEFECTIVE DRAINAGE.
Some surface or open aud underground
drains are usually constructed on farms
for the purpose Of rendering the soil more
suitable for the production Of crops. Blu.
| 1t is extremely rare 10 find any drainage
system undertaken with a view Of Ranits
~ advantages. The water that flows from
fields improved for cultivation Is often a.
lowed 10 accumulate In pools within a
| short distance Of the house. There Ia
nothing resembling q sewer in connection
| with the house or the lot on which Il
stands. The water from the sink as well
as that In which the family washing 10
done, and oil that employed In culinary
operations, generally inds its way to the
soil about the house. The soil becomes
saturated with filth. II becomes full Of
the seeds OF disease, which are ready to
terminate 90 soon as the conditions are
favorable. During the heat Of summer,
deadly vapors rise from II which are likely
10 pervade every room In the dwelling oC
cupied by the family. In every direction
are pools from which water only passes by
the process OF evaporation. There are
also sluggish streams that have no preCep.
tible current, except when the water 10
high. All these are nurseries oil malaria.
THE PURITY or COUNTRY AIR.
The purity Of the air In the country,
like that Of the water, is generally greatly
overestimated. Many OF the bad odors
are disguised by the perfume OF apple and
clover blossoms and numerous wild
flowers. The vilest Of odors are constantly
arising from manure heaps, from the yards
Of barns and stables, and the Enclosures
where swine aud poultry are kept. Ami.
mails and fowls that die on farms, In the
highways, or on land that 10 not inclosed,
frequently remain for weeks without be.
Ing buried, for the reason that there is no
person employed 10 look after and dispose
Of them. Many vegetables like cabbage,
potatoes and fruits are left 10 decom pose
on the ground. The cellars under most
fafmhouses are manufacturers OF poison.
Gus vapors which ascend through the
doors and cracks, and enter every room In
the dwelling. Country houses generally
have no other means Of ventilation than
that afforded by the doors and windows,
while the Ait In them is rendered foul by
the vapofs that arise from the wash boiler
and the dishes that are being cooked on
the stove. Not one farm house in a
thousand contains a bath room, supplied
with hot and cold water.
OCCUPATION AND HEALTH.