Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-22

Professor Chandler Gives Some
Facts and Figures ~ TO ttic Prev
fects-How to Make Ones House
Secure Against Its AttaCks-POpu.
lar Errors on the SaDject-The
Folly Of Trusting TO DisknfectAnts.
New York Post.
mo one has any notion" said Professor
Chandler, the president OF the board OF health.
"of the apathy OF Intelligent men toward SO
vital matter as the preservation OF health"
pened 10 be in the Professors pleasant
library, nodded assent, and the man OF
science, after lighting cigar-smoke, he
explained, enabled him to bear AMUSEMENT
on. Men work hard and deny themselves all
the pleasures of life and build splendid houses
In order that their families may enjoy them
selves, and yet they neglect the greatest source
of pleasure In nfe-the possession of sound
health. From careful study it Is my caudid
opinion that at least ten thousand persons die
every year In this city solely because they were
too much engaged In money making to see that
the water they drank and the air they breathed
were not polluted by disease; and as for every
death there Is an average OF twenty eight we'll
01lDed cases OF sickness. we have two hundred
unnecessary.
The trouble is complex; people viii not listen
to lectures on hygiene because they are not
amusing. and the eVil Itself Is an insidious one
which to the average observer gives no warn
Ing; IL would be blessing II sewer gas Stank so
that It drove every one OFT OF the house into
which 1t found its way. But the odor Is not
empowering, and frequently the gas does Its
deadly work without even entering into the
breathing air OF house. JJ Is not the gas which
does the mischief, for there IL nothing alarming
ABOUT 400 tne composition OF sever gas-earbonic
marsh gas What takes place lie this: The sewer
gas carries with 1t from the sewers the germs of
disease; when 1t reaches a trap or basin 1t
course you will see that it rises to the surface,
raises small film of liquid and bursts, sending
spray OF minute particles iato the air. These
Mates 90 Sh ds ef o. q amt
e1r as dust does. Il they contain the germs of
disease the person whose lungs they enter reaps
the harvest. especially II he is already In a
Erismann. has computed that cesspool or sewer
matter gives of In every twenty-foIr hours its
CWn Tclume of sewer gas, which enables one to
lorna some notion OF the volume OF gas sent
out daily from our New York sewers and forcing
It's way up into the closets and basins or our
houses unless some other egress is provided.
According TO DR.. Erismann, IS cubic metres Of
of carboIic acid, 2 go OF ammonia O.033 OF sui
phuretted hydrogen, and 7.464 OF carburetted
hydrogen or marsh gas.
HOW to keep this sewer gas out OF our houses
becomes Tor csty people. therefore, question
OF vast importance; we are spared the bane of
country l1fe-impure water. There Is no more
doubt that sewer gas can be completely kept
out Of house than thar 1t is not kept out of
nine houses out of ten. But people are begin
ming TO acknowledge that it may be Just as
well to keep 1t out as not, and the laws upon
the subject OF the proper ventilation OF soil
pipes In tenement houses are such tnat we can
now save many people from sickness in spite OF
themselves. The board Of health has been
nammeIiDg away about the necessity of pure
air and the ventilation OF soil-pipes ever since
1t was organized. 1t may be said to have got to
ork IN 1861. Children under flTe years OF age
are the most liable to be killed Off by diseases
which only undermine the strength OF adults
IT, therefore we take the statistics OF the deaths
OF children under i've years of age since 1861 to
The present time, the result OF better plumbing