The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-28

IN the surface, Congress appears TO do
good deal Of work, but 1t really completes
very little, except to pass extravagant appro-
priatlon bills and open the way for large ex-
penditures Of public money.
II the people hope for substantial reforms
In Federal legislation, they will have to look
Tor them beyond the Forty-seventh Congress.
The Superior Healthfulness OF Towns.
The ordinary and natural assumption lie
that the densely populated city is, perfOrce,
more unhealthy than the country, and that
tho more closely packed the inhabitants OF q
town are, the less are their chances Of lifo.
Tho fresh air OF the open country, 1t Is be-
1ioved, Is more conducive TO health than
the confined air Of pOpulous town.
But experience shows that, as matter of
fact, in many cases the rate Of mortality Is
lower In a crowded city than in It's thinly
populated environs. The townsmen may be
comparatively FREQ from class Of diseases
which beset the Inhabitants Of q neighboring
region which contains scarcely more people
to the square mile than city district does TO
the square acre.
In recent leading article the London
A>tu0ttHN lCilui heN, Whic iclcittH8 W thC
healthfllness Of the English capital as COM
pared with that Of other cities less populous,
that London is now almost an exception to
the rule that the mortality increases with
the density OF the population" But a ply
stefan OF Brighton, DIR. J. PARKIN, now comes
forward with facts and statistics to show that,
20 far from there being any such rule. and
London being the exception to 1t, London "i Is,
on the contrary, striking example of rule
that Is almost universal no fact being better
established In all malarious and unhealthiul
situations, than the superior. healthfulness Of
towns when compared with the surrounding
districts. More than this" he adds, lit
will often oe found that the thinly populated
part Of town Is moro liable to disease than
the densely populated districts"
Take Rome. for instance. In tho Ghetto,
situated on the banks Of the Tiber, the Jews
ore crowded together like bees In hive, and
In that very filthy district tho streets are so
narrow that 1t Is impossible for carriage to
pass through them. Yet the malaria fever Of
Rome is almost unknown In the Ghetto.
while In the more elevated and aristocratio
districts Of Rome, within the walls, where
he population rs scattered, the fever pre-
wallis. 1t has also been observed In Italy that
when monastery or convent has been va
Gated, for some reason the few attendants
left In charge Of the building have been in
sertain situations invariably attacked with
lever. When, however, the former inmates
or others In the same number have returned,
the fever has Immediately ceased.
During the prevalence Of epidemic cholera,
the ravages Of the disease havo been In an
inverse ratio with population. This Is moro
partic,llarly apparent In those countries In
which the disease has assumed an unusually
severe form. For instance, during the first
outbreak Of cholera In Jamaica In 1850 the
deaths at Kingston, the capital, were not
more than one-eighth Of the population. At
Port Royal and Falmouth. small towns, they
werc one-third, at Port Maria two-thirds,
and In the small villages, or settlements, the
0ortality was still greater.
II Is well known that the environs of New
York arc infested with malaria fevers which
arc comparatively unknown In the older and
most thickly populated portions Of the city.
During certain seasons, especially, they are
apt 70 enter In as complications Of nearly
every disease the physician is called upon to
treat. And the apothecaries In new districts
up town which are covered with some Of the
most elegant residences in the city, can rely
upon very steady and great demand for
their stock Of quinlne. Along the Hudson
River, regions..of remarkable. natural beauty
Gro almost spoilt for residence because OF
malaria; and the average appearance Of the
Inhabitants as to health does not compare
iavorably with that Of the denizens Of
some OF our crowded wards It Is tho same
In the Connecticut valley, and In parts Of
Long Island, whore, despite fresh sea breezes.
the Inhabitants are apt to have sallow look
Of unmistskable origin.
The tOwnsman who realizes q lonG-cher.
ished dream Of health and Happiness by no.
moving into the country, Is often surprised
TO find that the vigor he and his family en-
joyed In the crowded town, to which, per.
Aaps, they were tied eleven months In the
year. 80 far from being increased In the
country, 10 very perceptibly lessened. And
now generally, while the city sanitarians ART
puzzled over tho problems Of tenement house.
construction. street cleaning. SEWAGE and the
like, their fellows In the country are discuss
Ing earnestly and almost hopelessly thu
means Of staying the progress 81 malaria II
regions where the fresh air sweeps over thu
most beautiful hills and dales.
DR.. PARKIN contends that the city SAM
tarians have the easier task 30 far as certain
diseases are concerned. He concludes tina
" density Of population certain well
defined limits, those In which the oxygen o
the atmosphere 10 In its normal or nearly
normal condition instead Of being injuriou,
during the prevalence Of endemic and cpl
demic diseases, II actually beneficial" II
New York, however, there are climatic con
ditions, joined to density Of population
which unquestionably decrease the chances
ollie In children under five years to great
q extent than Is usual In the country. Thi
city h invariably prey to an epidemic. q
No may call II. Of diarrheal diseases when
ever the thermometer gets up to go an
higher and remains there for several day
together. Children succumb to the hot anC
close air and It's effect on their nourishment
But doubtless It Il true In the main tina