Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-02
TIE PUBLIC HEALTH.

There is more sickness prevalent in this
city and in San Francisco at the present
time than has been known for many years.
Most of the prevailing sickness is of the
malarial type. Typhoid. typho-m aIarial,
and typhoid pneumonia, are quite general.
There can be no doubt whatever that this
sickness is in the main attributable to
neglect Of the precautions which every ra-
tional community ought to take. We are
disposed to think that the weather has
been instrumental in hberating the poison
which is now at work. This year the first
rains were unusually abundant They
saturated the ground upon which Sacra.
mento stands. Tha. ground is honey.
combed with cesspools, of which there are
probably three thousand within the city
limits. After the first rains the weather
became warm again, and the suns heat act.
ing upon the wet and sewage saturated
soil developed an atmosphere tull OF in.
fictitious germs. Usually we have no heavy
rains until the year is so far advanced that
there is very little danger of warm weather
after them, and thus we have heretofore
escaped the worst consequences of an abso-
Lutte neglect of hygienic precautions But
it must be pointed out that even if our
theory be correct, the unusual abundance
of the early rains could not have produced
the present unhealthy conditions had not
| the soil been in state to be affected by
the suns rays, as above suggested. The
| truth is that Sacramento and San Francisco
have been protected in the past by fortu-
itous conditions. They have owed their
immunity from serious disasters to the eli
mate, and not at all to the sagacity or
| prescience Of their inhabitants. Aud the
best proof OF this consists in the fact that
directly any unfavorable change in the
weather occurs, and the old climatic pro-
lection is temporarily withdrawn, the con-
sequences Of past neglect begin to make
themselves manifest
The RECORD UNION has labored for many
years to arouse this community to action
upon the vital question of the drainage of
| the city, but thus far without much effect.
1t is possible that the costly experience
now being acquired will have more potent
influence than anything we could say,
though it is very much to be regretted that
| it should be necessary to undergo such
severe punishment before any remedy is
sought for the evils which surround us.
| Whoever defes and violates Natures laws
will be punished, however, and the punish
ment is too frequently tremendously dis.
proportionate to the offense. Nature never.
theless is memorable, and though she may
appear sometimes long. suffering, she will
assuredly infict the full penalty in the end.
The people of Sacramento will be forced
sooner or later to take active measures for
the drainage and publication of the city.
1t is not only such foul plague spots as
China Slough which will have to be abol-
ished, but the pool system must be
done away with altogether house sewer
age must be established and scientific
system of drainage, embracing the com.
plete removal of all sewage from the city
limits, must be introduced. And it will
not do to postpone these reforms on the
score of expense. There is no economy
in methods which bring disease and death
in their train. 1t is cheaper to construct
sewers than to pay the bills of doctors and
undertakers. And though the problem to
be solved is unquestionably difficult one,
because of the level character of the land
upon which the city stands, it must be
faced boldly, and it ought to be faced at
once.
On the one hand there is absolute GER
tainty that unless remedial action is taken
the health of the city will become
worse and worse from year to year.
That means ruin to the community, or
slow defamation. We cannot go on brag.
ging foolishly about our splendid sanitary
condition when every intelligent observer
sees that nothing but fortunate combina-
ton of circumstances beyond our control
stands between us and an epidemic of the
most fatal character. We have done next
to nothing for public health ourselves. Our
preteDse of system of sewerage is dis
graceful sham. We might as well admit
that for all practical intents we have no
drainage. Our soil is literally saturated
with sewage. In fact we are living upon
a huge sponge, almost every square yard of
which is more or less impregnated with
decomposed organic matter capable of
breeding the most virulent poison germs.
And this state of things cannot be toler-
ated any longer. To endure it, in the face
of the warnings we are now receiving,
would be to acknowledge our incapacity for
self-government. We ought therefore to
prepare for action, and to set about seri-
Gus discussion of the best methods of drain.
age and sewerage.
We have long been convinced that the
pneumatic system which has been intro.
duced SO successfully in many of the towns
of Holland is peculiarly adapted to the
needs and conditions of Sacramento. In
any case il must be realized that we can
not have proper system of drainage
without pumping, and it may be ques.
toned whether it is possible to sink our
sewers low enough for fall without ex-
posing them to destructive infiltration from
the rivers. The Dutch system is not more
costly than those commonly in use, and
it was devised for the express purpose of
meeting difficulties precisely similar to
ours. 1t includes means of preparing
the sewage for fertiizing purposes, and
though heretofore the use of fertilizers has
been generally avoided in this State, it is