The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-08-18

Useussiop on Malarious suburbs-De fscts
OF Onr Sewerage system--ImpurItIes of
Well aud sprins-wstcr, and susgs,sions
How 20 Get aud Keep Health Opinions of
| Private Citizens, Showing Certain short
eominss, and Proposing Remedies Another
Letter ffom "MeG.,
Here are more articles on the sanitary
condition of the city. We are pretty well
here now, but II remedies can be applied
for evils pointed out we will be better still.
So. having really nothing to fear from the
discussion Of these questions-no dread se-
crets 10 keep from the world--it Is well
while public thought Is In this channel that
all sides should be heard. II, as is clsimed
by many, Rishmond is one Of the healthiest
cities In the country, then the establishment
OF that fact will be OF great benefit to
us. IL from bad sewerage and the use OF
\ impure we'll. and spring. water, or other
causes, our rate OF mortality is higher than
II should be 10 a city so adysntageously lo-
Gated, then the evils being pointed out, the
remedies can aud should be promptly ap-
piled. When the people are thoroughly in-
formed, as they are fast becoming, they will
stir the city authorities TO action; for II is
admitted on all sides that there Is some
work 10 be done, and 10 doing 1t medical
and municipal talent may be combined.
The recommendations OF the Board OF
Health, made in their last annual report,
are here republished. They favor better
sewerage, prohibition Of sinks aud cess.
pools, appointment OF physicians for the
INDECENT population, establishment Of a city
hospital, aud the extension of the sanitary
jurisdiction Of the city. A very respectable
citizen complains OF filthy alleys and OF nui-
sanoes which the Board OF Health have not
caused to be sbated. Another one gives
some original II not peculiar views about
sewer gas, foul wells, damp Easements, east
winds, and proper habits OF life. Then
comes "Mc0." with another letter, answer
ing some OF the objections to his position
and paying particular attention TO DR.. Cab
ell-all OF which arc worth the space here
yielded to them.
what We Need.
| In tho last report OF the Board OF Health
the following recommendations were made
to the City Council:
We ask your favorable consideration OF
the proposition submitted 10 you, with
the recommendation OF the Committee on
Health, to supply the Board with the
amount necessary 10 provide q paid force
OF labOrers and teams adequate to the SER
vice OF cleansing tue city.
Secondly. We advise that hereafter, 10
tue construction OF sewers, suitable pro-
vision be made by the sides OF the sewer
| for the drainage OF the suh-soil by placing
open tiles to receive this moisture. aud
abandoning the practice OF pudding the
trenches where the sewers are laid, adopt
| ing the plan now prGcticed by the gas and
water departments Of ramming the earth.
Thirdly. We advise the prohibition OF all
sinks and cess-pools; requiring those now
| in use 10 be cleansed and filed up. A SINH
lar provision should be made as to all surface
and leaky, privies-tbese substituted by
wster-tight boxes. No citizen has the right
to polIuts the soil in this way, thereby pol
lutiDg the various springs aud wells in the
city. A few years since DR.. William II.
Taylor Ia mem Der OF this Board) undertook
an exspiinstion OF the wster-suppy OF this
city. His Investigations OF the supply from
the water-works extended through period
OF twelve months-convincing him and The
public that no complaint could be made as
TO the parity Of that wster, except its tur.
bidity. In bis examination OF the water
drawn from wells and springs. in various
sections OF the city. with few exceptions all
we're found Objectionable.
| For the beneft OF the INDECENT portion OF
our population we renew the suggestion
made lasi year Of appointing a certain num-
Der OF district physicians. The wants OF
this large class have increased. The charge
aud care OF them has been provldentially
| imposed upon us. We cannot avoid the re-
sponslbllity thereto attaching. Let Us fulfil
TO our utmost such obligations.
| We again call your attention to the great
need OF 4 city hospital. .,..,
We respectfully suggest that application
be made 10 the General Assembly OF Viz
ginia, at ito next session. for the extension
Of the sonit0ry jurisdiction OF this city TO
correspond to its criminal jurisdiction
vis., one mile beyond the corporate limits.
Toe importance OF this measure 10 the
health Of this city, and indeed TO the dis
tFict which will be embraced, is very great
A ride through said district will show
large tracts OF swampy grounds-in many
cases stagnant ponds OF water, which only
need q slight expenditure in dltching to
render them fnofensiye TO health. In that
same circuit the scourings and washiDgs
from all the slaughter houses except, per.
| hsps, tvo-find access 10 and are drained
by Shoekoe creek, which passes for at least
two and half miles through the city. The
land occupied by the two excepted cases is
drained into Gillie's creek II is no won
der that most of the diseases of the city are
more or less marked by symptoms Of mals-
rial poisoning, surrounded as she Is by
such deleterious influences.
Dirty Alleys.
Messrs. Editors am neither doctor nor
layman, yet can point out a more prolific
source Of unhealthiness to our city than
either the doctor or the layman has men,
toned.
The most baleiul source OF unheaIthiness
on the suburbs OF our city is the filthy con-
dition OF the slleysrand the pTivies that are
located on them. To my certain knowledge
the attention Of the proper authorities has
been frequently called TO these nuisances In
my own neighborhood, yet the nuisanccs
have not been abatcd. The most that has
been accomplished is, the health officer has
notified the parties that slops must not be
thrown in the alley and the clubhouse must
be cleaned out. Some few persons are obe-
dient, but the majority pay no respect 10 the
notice consequently the pestiferous exhs-
lstions from these filthy places are borne on
every breeze from all points OF the compass.
Enforce cleanliness in these quarters and
no doubt II will be much more beneficial
than the filing up OF all our wells or the
drinking OF gallons OF water, whether II be
hydrant, Buffalo, or Wolf Trap. q.
Sewerage. Damp Houses, and East
Winds.
"Bad sewerage" Easily said, but 1t won't
do.
The steep grades OF the city cause .
thorough flushing and washing out OF our