The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-23
DIR. ELDER HAS VIEWS,
And They Do Not Accord with Those
of DIR. Newcomer.
The President of the Board of Health Takes
Issue with Brother Physiscian-Pros-
poets of Visitation of Cholera.

view with DR.. Newcomer in tho journal the
other dayl' said DR.. E. 8. Elder, of the Board Of
Health, with considerable warmth yesterday to
a Journal reporter.
"Whyf" inquired the reporter.
Because 1 want to answer him. Ur. New
conner antagonizes the efforts OF the board of
health to place this city In a good hygienc con-
dition in the newspapers, and in so doing an
nounces a series of propositions that I'M
worthy gentleman of his standing"
| The reporter began TO he interested and took
out his pencil and book. There's nothing SO
thoroughly enjoyable as a first-class medical
muss.
CDR. Newcomer says truly that Indianapolis is
IL a much better sanitary condition than any
other Western city," continued DIR. Elder, but
his proposition that the mud and water which is
left in cutters is at all injurious to health is
one that Is new to sanitary science. Everybody
knows that the mud and water left standing in
these cutters is full OF animal and vegetable
matter, and that few hours exposure to the
broiling heat of a July sun will convert the
whole mass into an offensive nuisance, filling the
air with nauseous vapors. That such places
mot at all Injurious to health is statement I'M
supported by all recognized authority and COM
mon observation. The Doctors statement that
'as long as vegetation is growing in full vigor,
and as long as decomposing matter is net
thrown out the streets are all right, is correct;
also that when vegetation begins to decompose
the impurities arising spread disease, is true.
But every observer knows that the streets. and
alleys are the common receptacle Of Stops, garb-
age and other decOmposing matter, aud, also,
that the rank vegetation which springs up under
the Influence of the heavy rains and hot atmos-
phere of June and July will die and decompOae
under the Impression of the hot, dry weather of
August, and in order to remeve that, which
Doctor Newcomer acknowledges a most potent
| cause OF disease, the beard of health has asked
that the mass of vegetation and the accumula-
tiOne of filth be removed from the Streets alleys,
cutters, back-yards, vacant lots and other places
inside the city. For this request, which is being
| generally eheerfully complied with, the Doctor
tstigmatizes u.s. he indicates disposition to IA
vor such a course as wOuld certainly result in q
condition where, according to his own words,
| the malaria in the atmosphere becomes so thick
that you can almost stir it,.
"The Doctor has no fault to find with persons
| VINO violate the law by placing piles of manure
| In alleys, nor does he object to the impurities
arising from either human or animal offal.' He
| seems 20 commend the sanitary surroundings of
| THO vault cleaners while working in vaults
But from the hundreds Of complaints that are
being daily received at the health Office praying
for the abatement of such nuisances, | am in
olined to believe that vast majority Of our cti
zens prefer to seek their perfumes elsewhere.
| Another source of exquisite pleasure to the Doc
tor is TO have in front Of every dwelling "a pond
| of water, the surface OF which is covered with
green scum 1T has in it a world of beauties In
which apimal life is revealed That is ali true
But the Doctor knows that the green scum and
its rich provision of animal life are both among
the lowest orders of the vegetable and animal
Kingdoms, and possess such feeble vitality that
when the water Ia either evaporated or drained
| of, few hours exposure to the air and
hot sunshine Is sufficient to convert the residue
into q putrefying, lOathsome, offensive mass OF
corruption, that poisons the whole atmosphere
around IT, This is the curse of the tropical
climates and the source of the fatal fevers that
desolate those countries. And that ponds of
water, covered with green scum, filled with
81
| under the hot sunshine of July. and August
along the streets, cutters, lots and yards in the
mldst OF city OF 100000 inhabitants, are good
lie health is an Anticipated proposition that be-
| longs to, the dark ages and to those countries
| where the eclipses Of the heavenly bodies are
held responsible for the pestilence which feeds
upon the filthy surroundings OF the miserable,
| ignorant, stricken people"
do you think the advent OF the cholera here
| probable" inquired the reporter.
"As to the probable advent of cholera the
any immediate danger. In the interview with
| the reporter last week distinctly stated that
| there was mo occasion for ALARM but
directed efforts to place the city in
| frsJ-class sanitary condition should and would
| be resorted to- That has been and is being done.
Public officials, the officers of the street-car COM
| pany, and pfoprietors OF hotels, restaurants,
| boarding-hOuses and private citizens have al
most without exception cheerfuily assisted and
| co-operated with the health officers, and to-day
| Indianapolis is in a remarkably good sanitary
| condition. We propose to keep 1t 3d. and to
| push the work of cleaning up until its condition
| is as nearly perfect as approved hygienic meas
ures will insure. When we first issued our order
| for cleaning up and removing weeds and rub
| bish, draining ponds and cleaning cutters, the
| cholera mad not reached either Cairo or Aexan-
dria, yet the siekening details of its ravages in
! those cities, published in this morn
| ing's papers only rendered more
| painful by the additional information
| that owing to the mserably bad sanitary con-
dition OF those cities, all efforts to arrest its
/, progress were fruitess and have been abandon
| ed, and the dread destroyer given full sway in
| its devastating march of desolation; also, that
| the disease has not only appeared in London,
but it is spreading in spite Of the great efforts
arrest its course. The Doctor, In his interview,
says that the conditions for an outbreak of
cholera in this country are very good, but In
| dianapelis would probably be, on account of its
cleanliness, less susceptible to an epidemic than
| neighborng ciJies' Yet, unaccountably 10 u.s.
| he places himself in the peculiar position of
| publicly criticizing and condemning tine efforts
| which have resulted in placing our beautiful
| city in such q sanitary condition to accord
| ing TO his own acknowledgements virtually in
sure us an escape from the awful horrors of
| that pestilence which has long been the terror
| of the world
'In regard to the vulgar epthet which he ap-
| piled to the Board OF Health, have only this to
| say, that it was unworthy of him"
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