The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-08-18
SANITARY SCIENCE on THE FARM.

+ interest:
n The object Of sanitary science is I,
prevent disease. The principal subiectl
with which ii deals are sewerage, drain
age and water supply. When these arr
+, regulated in accordance with the law;
r Of health, malaria, typhoid and con
sumption grow less prevalent and dis
3 appear, reducing the death rate of com
munities and lengthening the average
age Of the race. So far this has been
confined to the towns. The country
,ffers best opportunity for protection in
these matters. The country has natur-
ally the advantage, yet the country
nome too often shows state Of affairs
rendering it far more fatal to health
than the dwelling Of a family in the
same circumstances in the town.
Defective drainage and polluted wa
ter are the the two chief causes Of dis
ease. The first, generally, Is neglected
entirely in choosing and preparinga site
for farm buildings. Convenience too
often Is the cause Of choice Of position
Springs often determine the place ofthe
older residences. Springs break out in
low grounds Ii Is only as the country
grows older that the residences move
/ toward the high grounds. Water drains
/ to low places In Ohio are extensive
tract. Of plain land 80 near one level
+ that water can scarcely choose which
/ way to flow Here are natural difficult
/ les. a tract from which water can not
+ be drawn away to the depth offour feet
from The surface, Is not fl for residence.
Ne have in this State the best and the
worst Of building soils. Gravel ridges
and gravelly clays are the best the
worst Is the >t0ne-like and stubborn
boulder clay The one insures dry, the
other damp foundations forever.
The drainage of many farm houses is
bad from utter neglect to make proyis-
ion for it, even where it could be Sc
cured at small outlay The climate of
Ohio Is variable, It's lowest limit, say 20
degrees below zero. This necessitates /
cellar which prevents its contents from
freezing, dug six or more feet below the /!
water level. Few Of these have any
drainage.
Mr. Orton introduced Judge Fields /
picture Of the old-time cellar afoat. He /
then considered the condition Of the eel /
lar where vegetables lie and decay, rats
and mice abound, and cats are permit
ted to prowl and hunt their prey. The
poisonous vapOrs are constantly rising,
drawn up by currents air. The farmer
and his sons may escape by the aid Of
fresh air in which they spend their days,
out the wife and daughters, shut up to
their tasks in the house, soon lose
bloom and elasticity, suffer from neural
yia and often die before they grow old.
\ few dollars in labor and drain-tile '
would remedy this state of affairs
The character of the water which we
rink is the most important subject
which we can be called upon to consider
Typhoid fever is largely distributed by f
poisoned drinking wafer. Where it APP I
pears the water supply is TO be sus- '
pected Lin Massachusetts, where /
towns are under sanitary supervision, J
typhoid fever is a disease of the country @
alone. The farmers well is not certain |
to be contaminated, as is that Of the t
lweller. in towns, bat it Is subject to t
many dangers. Il Is so situated, often, G
hat the draft Of the water is from the \
parn-vard Often it serves the barn IL o
we'll as the house. 1t may be poison o
ID by the surface washing. o. by o
he leakage through the porous soil. Il
Even this water is less poisonous than O
hat spoiled by infltration of the 1
.itchen drain, where all sorts of slops, y
Dap and grease are thrown. Months c
nay go by, whi.e the hateful poisons "
"a pollnting the sources o.. the water il
upplv. Filth thrown on the surface OF )
he ground also finds lis way, slowly Il
mt surely, witE the washing OF the a
ain, to the sources % he springs. Il
'ilth from the privy pits often hnGs It's +
-av to the water supply. Civilization s
as never found successful solution of a
his question. The farmer should have
o trouble. There is the grain--field e
nd the meadow which need the miner $
| and pbosphates found in the deposits. o
'hese products of human excretion, il
ateful to the senses, can be robbed of j
II danger by simple application of /
hemical substance. Its no new idea. b
loses recon- mended it. The soil, dry I
arth. is the most et.actiye agent for the a
bsorption Of human waste. tta far 9
Ter should not be slow 20 avail hlm- :,
ELF Of this escape from the worst Of G,
Anglers But how is this? y simple il
it, without drain. reeking with V
domination, left to find its G~E outlet, j
ear the house, for convenience, flooded
" rains, draining into all those chan /,
els for which TIE we'll Is n deep drain o.
what wonder that in soi.G Instances Il
raws supply from these local. les IL Il
nay be well enough when rain IS plenty j
nd springs full, but ia tines OF drouth b
we'll that is bad should be condemned il
[ once the sources of its supply are II
ccessible to pollution from some Of the ol
auscs named. The farmer needs bet st
ar knowledge Of and more respect for n
atural law. More than any other man
e can control the arrangement 81 bis
wn affairs. So cheaply and so perfect
y Is he able to 90 that that it is culpa- f
lie negligence when be doos not He V,
ught by this time to know that l sick AZ
ife and doctors bill costs more than T
proper drainage of his premises tat
- be
II is related that Sin Finland dairying is IL
ught the ~CGan in the most thorough -
vie at Government eNFs2se. In 1878, ~
yelling dairy-mads were appointed l.
roughout The country, aud, being paid CT
om the public treasures, every inhabitant IS
al right to claim instruction ~ assistance tc
ne next step was the founding OF seventeen ar
liry schools, of which ten were established -,
owners of private diaries. Each school -,
"a teacher at its head, who gave theoreti- %
/ instruction. and female teacher, who III
l,sht the principal part of the work. Each su