Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-28
A Word in Season.


With ship which has or had yellow fever
cases on bolrd lying in each OF the three
principal bays on the Atlantic coast and with
the cholera approaching US from the eastward,
the time would seem to be at hand for the
health authorities OF the different cities of the
country TO take prompt, energetic and system
attic measures to prevent the spread OF those
seourges throughout the United States. In a con-
tlnSency such as is before Us, prevention is the
thing most TO be relied on. Should either disease
secure but slight foothold In the country it is
almost certain to spread and once either Is intro
duced In city II will be sure to CARR of large
number of victims before It's ravages can be
stopped. ManifeSty, therefore, the course to be
pursued Is that OF prevention. This can only be
enectually accomplished In two ways The first
and most reliable methOl Is to put every city AMI
conSlderable town In the country In such a SAM
tary condition long before the dread visitor
makes It's appearance, CT Is even near at hand
lhat III Will be impossible for an contagious or
infectious disease to gain footing. The other
step Is TO prevent, so far possible, by duran
tine regulations and otherwise, the Introduction
or such diseases into any given place.
what are the health authorities OF the various
large cse5 Of the country doing In either OF these
two directions? What are the Local authorities OF
the District OF Columbia doinge Or what have
they done? Apparently, the city OF Washington
Is In i cleanly condition, and better situated to
resist seige OF the kind than most cities OF her
Size AMI likely to be equally exposed. But the
places exposed TO view are not the danger spots.
AS rule, the premises OF large majority of citi-
zenS are In excellent order, so as cleanliness
and careful attention to ordinary hygtenic laws
are concerned, but 1t Is known that there are
many places in the center OF well Improved and
handsomely built squares which are directly The
reverse OF thiS,-rotten cores, as it were OF fair
and attractive outsides. Now, 1t Will be almost
useless for the careful and well disposed people OF
any square section Of the city to take all ORE
Cautions possible against the threatened danger
by putting and keeping their own premises In
proper order for any emergency likely to arise,
unless all the several localities or near the same
nelyhoorhood are put In practically the same con-
dition. 1t will be OF little avail for one house or
yard, or dozen or more, TO be rendered as perfect
as can be, II others or only single one near by be
left as the abode OF filth and hot-Ded OF disease.
1t Is the wei known and Interchangeable law OF
Doth yellow fever and cholera, when once fairly
established, TO pay no attention whatever to the
o'undary lines laid down by city surveyors be-
tWeen Clean and filthy premises. The poison
generated IN one unclean spot spreads abroad and
does It's fatal work In adjacent houses as efectu-
ally as In the place where it was bred 1t will
enter the carved doorway of palace as quickly
as through the broken windows OF a howell; and It
often happens that those who are responsible for
the introduction OF contagious dIsels escape its
rayages, While those who have fought to keep
themselves and their nelghbors free from its
attacks become its victims These are well
known facts They cannot be altered or ignored
by wishing things were otherwise. Nor, with the
probable prospect ahead, can the most deplor-
able results be avoided without prompt and yigor-
Gus action in every direction likely to be proiuc-
tive of good.
In view of the momentous issues tnyo,ve1. IT.
would seem to be the plain duty OF the health
omctalS to set on foot at once most complete and
stringent sanitary Inspection aad oyerhaulluy OF
the city. The well known weak points should be
Visited, and the proper remedies applied, without
delay. Hidden dioease-breederS, II they exist,
should be ferreted out and similarly treated be-
fore 1t is TOO late. Every spot In the city that is
not clean ana pure should be made so at once,
whether on. public or private property. Foul
places should be purified By every means known
10 science, and dSlnfectantS should be freely used
wherever the slightest apparent need for them
exists Domlclliary visits are always objected to;
and IL Is possible that in a systematic and thor
oush overhauling Of the city, complaints may be
male OF unpleasant inqulsitions and Interference
Win private or personal rights. AL ground for
these should be avoided, as far as possible, as o
m1tter OF course, but they should not be allowed
y prevent or delay the prosecution OF a work
upon which so much may depend. In such case
as guarding against pestilence the welfare, the
very existence, OF the whole community may be
said to be at stake, and every consideration of a
mere Individual character, particularly where no
real harm Is done, and no actual hardship Is I'm
posed, should give way TO the common good
IL the editor OF the Alexandria Gazette was
blessed with the keen percepiive faculty which a
searcher after notes In a neighbor'5 eve should
possess he would have discovered that the word
prosecute in The STARS editorial upon Mr. De-
zendorfs letter OF acceptance was typographical
error In commenting upon the letter The STAR
said MI. Dezeniorf charged Malone with having
sacrificed republicans in order to proiaote read
JusterS- The intelligent composltor substituted
pefsecut; for promote. The error was SD palpable
That even the Gazette man ought to have seen it.
The statement made in various quarters In con.
necttOn with the death o: Hon. Montgomery Blair
70 the effect that for several years past he had
been the last surviving member OF President Lin
coins cabinet, is far from correct Hon Simon
Cameron, Lincoln's first Secretary OF War; Hon.
John Z. Usher, his second, and Hon. James Har-
Ian, bis third Secretary OF the Interior are all
alive, and were at last accounts wen physically
and mentally.
One by one the popular deiusions go to the wall
A passenger on a steamer from Copenhagen to
London recently died OF sea sickness
TT O0K! LOOK,i LOOk..-JUST RECEIVED AN.
~ other CONSIGNMENT OF those Celebrated
CALIFORNIA HAMS