New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-24
DIRT IN INDIA.

From me London btOOP
The Orental does not see that there is any con.
nection between cleanliness and either comfort or
health lie does believe in it's connection with god
Illness abutlOn being regular part OF DIS WORSHIP
but be sees no objection to using the same tank Tor
hs ceremonial bath and for his dIinElpg WAFER.
The indifference which exists 10 polute9 "eiis -
we have not long learned to recognize their danger
even In England. This indifference Is not confined
to the poor. Di. NJ. c. Furnell speaking OF Madras.
observes that most natives. even OF tue highest
caste, have no objection to use both lor domestic
and drinking purposes water which may De de-
scribed simply filthy The doctor noticed people
washing their clothes and themselves ia tanks from
which the women were taking home water Tor
cooking and dim king The only de'lderatum Is
that the water shall be soft" In some places III
this Presidency II has been found useful to set apart
by municipal authority certain tanks for washing
and others for the supply OF drinking water, Dut
the regulation can only be carried out by appout-
ing wntchmen TO enforce il. Satisfactory progress
haa been made in improving the water supply OF tlfe
great Cities and it would seem that as regards some
of these there is not very much to complain OF.
A curious and Instructive instance Of tue danger
incurred by English soldiers from drinking Impure
water is afforded by incident reported from
Kamptee. A detachment of the I'd battalion OF
the 18th Regiment stationed there suffered from an
outbreak of enteric fever. IL was speedily noticed
that nearly all the patients we've teetotailers.
Whence arose this extraordinary susceptibility OF
austquers to disease 1t turned out that the tee
total soldiers had recreation room oil tber own,
where they drank tea. coffee, aeTated waters and
what was supposed 10 be pure water. On eAalliud-
ton, h viewer, 1t was found that the latter iu.d
was dra WI from well close ht manu-, WHICH Hau
been polluted by percOation from ncghDorlng
drains The other had not drunk from this
we'll and nearly ali escaped the epidemic.
The Government of India regard instruction IN
the elements If sanitary science as an Important
branch OF popular education. and for some years u
Sanitary Primer, IN the different vernacular lam
guages has been in use IN the schools IN the year
reported on this publication Was circulated IN Ben
gal 10 the extent of $4,000 copies A trans Station
into Assalnese is in the press, and an edition OF
900 copies is being ISSUED IN British Burmah.
As many as 100. 900 copies Of the manual nave been
issued since It's first publication. and 1t has been
translated into fourteen yernacular languages.
One great difficulty in inducing the people OF India.
wbeGner in towns villages, TO practise cleanliness
in their houses and surroundings Is that they have
not learned the value of refuse and sewage as
manure. Only IN one paCe-a small village called
Lohi, in Berar, OF 1900 InhabItauts-haYo
the people adopted this practice Ibey seeni to
have done so without external pressure or advice.
The report of the operations of these native SAM
tary pioneers says: "Ihere are 10 cesspIts Inc
water from the bathing CHAT flows on TO a small
plot planted with chamkwla Ia species OF GAIA
duin) the leaves of which used as a vegetable.
These plants to be growing in nearly every
courtyard, aud IN some also | noticed tha papol2
and plantan in those places whore otherwise, n
cesspool would have been. All nOxlous accumula-
tons arc thus utilized la the soil, to tho general
health of tile community"