The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-25
Health aud Material Prosperity.

New Haven contains, in letter from
Prof. Brewer, President of the Board,
to the Common Council of the city, a
convincing statement of the closeness
of the relation between a good sanitary
condition and the material prosperity
and wealth of city or community. An
individual, to prosper by his labor, must
be reasonably well; the same is equally
true of a community or State. In the
intense competition of modern times, no
sickly community can be prosperous.
1t may be intelligent, and moral, and
industrious, but it must be poor. Hence
it is a duty, imposed not only by the
claim of the individual on the communi-
ty, but also by the vital interest of the
community itself, to protect every per-
son in it against those diseases and dan
gers whose power for evil has grown
along with our civilization. The won
derfully rapid accumulation of wealth,
far surprising anything ever witnessed
in the past, which is one of the charac-
teristics of modern times, is not due to
improvements in machinery, to appli-
cations of science, to the spread of ed
ucation, the decrease of wars, or the
more extended production of precious
metals, though all these have contrib
uted their part, so much as to the bet
ter average health of civilized countries
and the longer average term of life
which is now secured to workingmen.
Even now, single pestilence like those
with which Savannah and Memphis
have recently been afflicted, may
set the most prosperous city back
many years. New Haven has had but
one visitation of yellow fever, but it
took the city eight or ten years to re-
cover from the visible effects of it, and
a permanent loss of "what might have
been' was suffered at a critical period
in the commercial development Of the
city, the value of which can never be
ascertained or guessed. The sanitary
work. which is of such importance in
this aspect of civic life, is often over
looked, because of its unobtrusive char.
acter; and it is never more efficient
than when it is least obtrusive. In the
ordinary pursuits Of business, the clang
of machinery, brilliant scientific appli-
cations, the hustle, etc, "are more con.
spicuously in the eyes of the public than
the quiet, persistent, unromantic, but
heroic fight with unseen but unwhole.
some influences which lurk in the air Of
our towns. These influences, mostly
growing out of our modes of life. are
ever present in all our cities, ever grow.
ing unless checked, always producing
disease. and from time to time especially
inviting pestilence. Few cities can
afford to allow pestilence to invade
them. "A single epidemic, but one
fourth as bad as that of Memphis last
year, would cost this city," says Prof
Brewer, speaking of New Haven,
"more, and leave us with higher taxes
than the most expensive system of sew.
ers and of garbage collection that was
ever dreamed of here" Moreover, .
pestilence Is only an intensified mani
Hesitation of disease, and most of its dis
astrous effects may be produced by pro
longed but general i'll health; and it i!
perfectly safe to say that no Northern
city can be really prosperous and really
sickly at the same time.-P0pula'
Science Monthly.