Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-13

cation of disease, says Of this typhoid
fever: tsThis il the indigenous foyer OF
New England and of this country, ex-
cept where miasmatic fever prevails.
The disease in various places and oy
various authors has received the fol-
lowing names: Louis called 1t the
tuphoid affections; it has also been caii-
ed abdominal ferer, q bdOmiJ1ol typhus,
enteyic fever, leo thypus, en-
Zero nlesenteric fever, nervous
feper. dutun,nal feuer, infdntiie rensitten i
Ieuer, and what has been called gastric
fever in the same diseases. A good
number of disease disposed OF
In Newton, Massachusetts,, the Board
of Health and some Of the physicians
of the place held public discussion IS
to the cause of the epidemic of diph-
iberia which had igtely been prevailing
in that place. One physician said II
was caused by impure water, another
was sure that It was from foul air rom
cess. pools, while the third asserted It
was from foul privies. They asked,
were there no impure drinking water
and leaky cess-pools and local coilec-
tions of filth in Newton before the pes
thence came upon them? They asked,
are not o majority of New England
towns to-day in the same condition
that Newton is, in regard TO dralnaye,
sewerage, contaminated wells and nth?
They believe that filth isa powerful
auxiliary in originating and spreading
such diseases as diphtheria and typhoiu
fever, but is 1t wise to act as though IL
was the only cause?
George E. Waring, Jr., sanitary engi..
neer of New York City, in speaking OF
the sanitary condition of New YORK,
than which city the world has no bet
ter field for sanitary study ana ooserVa-
ton, among a great many other Things
saws: 1.-THE precise manner in whlcn
the human subject is Influenced by To-
cal causes of disease, Is not clearly
known. We believe that cholera, ty-
phoid fever diphtheria and cerebro-
spinal meningitis are in some way allied
To the conditions which accompany
n defective removal of the waste matter.
We also believe that undue dampness
of soil leads to the great aggravation OF
consumption and kindred diseases. Out
of this sum of limited knowledge there
has been formulated what Is known as
sanitary science. Science it certainly
Is not, but il is the best substitute for II
we have, and n proper observance OF
its indications and warnings results IN
the Improvement of the health OF the
people. Too much must not be expect
ed, but full confidence may be accorded
to the well defined branches or the
subject, on which all are agreed. OBJ
strIction to natural drainage caused by
the filling up of the streets across deep
places. is sufficient to do great harm;
while it prevents anything like free ma
tufal drainage, it permits widely ditfus-
ed. percolation of sewage-matte. Var
ious attempts have been made 10 over
come the dangers of such localities,
but without success. The swamp
areas, originally bad, and, probably, all
things considered, not less harmful al
the present time, have been ineincient-
ly drained, and the ground water, ma,
turally moving towards them, carried
with it an amount of organic matter
sufficient to keep up or produce ue-
cided contamination of the original, as
well as the neighbOring soil, which VIII
always remain, a covered underground
source of disease. Wet cellars, damp
foundations, cellars used as source OF
air for heating houses, common perhaps
i'm every place, are dangerous" Engl-
neer Warning makes grave complaints
in regard to the whole system OF plum
bling in the city, and in fact the great
mass of as connected with defective
drainage, the foul emanations given OF
by the outlets of our sinks, basins, bath
tubs and water closets, are often con-
nected more directly with the house
drainage than with the main sewers.
The whole system Of house drainage
has grown up since the introduction OF
croton water into nearly all the houses
of the city. Mr.. Warning says: 1.-The
cardinal fault of all, not even surpassed
by the unventilated soil pipes, Is the
acdtcr closet, which is in almost univer-
sal use all over Christendom. 1t is pro-
badly not, but it certainly might be,
the invention of the devil. Some forms
of closets are much better than others,
and can, with sufficient care, be made
safe. But however good in original
construction, they are always liable UNI
der careless management to become
foul and unsafe. On the whole, their
entire abolition is to be recommended,
as it is practically impossible to keep
them i'm such condition of safety, as
to make them compare with the old.
fashioned wash bowl and pitcher"
Engineer Warning seems to have
studied the subject closely, and has
given i'm his paper large amount OF
practical and useful information on san
itary measures. In the city of Wheel
ing there is a great amount of obstruc-
ton to natural drainage, by filing
ravines and low places to improve ap-
pearances, to make streets and new
ground for building purposes. This
kind of building and leveling Of the
ground Of the city is the occasion Of
great harm, for while it prevents any
thing like free natural drainage, 1t per-
mits the same rs I'm New York, widely
diffused percolation Of sewerage matter
mixed often with spring and storm
waters, though not only the filings OF
the old water-passages and rayines, but
widely diffused percOlation through the
neighboring soil. 1t Is to be feared that
attempts TO relieve this class OF troubles
and dangers in the filthy percolated
soil of Wheeling, by sewers and other
devices, will Prove as i'm New York not
to be a success. That class of soil as
well as swampy areas, will always con-
tinue to be unsafe and unhealthy soil to
live on.
Mr.. Warning also says: "He who
would heal the ills of large city, need
not look beyond the formula of Hippo
crates: 'Ioure todter, pure air and dpure
SOIL" The first two term OF the form
ula we have reasonably good, except
when contaminated by local infiunces.
The gases outside Of our cellars, our
houses and our yards are soon carried
off by the free winds Of our city. The
third term of our formula, namely, the.
getting clear Of the foul atmosphere Of
the soil and the underground and in
door sources of filth, is much more
troublesome to manager, Inc MEff
sand-amagfavei son Is the most safe and
healthy soil to lixe o. Z J 1isliId MA
TO quote moro largely from Warin& but
have already used too much sp9ce. ~
Or. Foraycs Baker, In some resnAtlss
cine 81 New Ycfk CITY, says - 'JrbeI
special poisons to which I now refer,
sewer gas, &c, are the agases resulting
from defective plumbines 70 wnl,h all
ol.o,n. khn ,nnr oo.auY,lr III ~ f<1r1otn Qnt