Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-09
SEWER GAS.
Some Facts and Suggestions in Relation
to 1t.
N..r vi
Neto York Times.


The advocates of the theory that sewer
gas-employing the term to represent the
mixed gaseous products arising from the
decomposition of sewage-is intimately
concerned with, if not the primary cause
OF, the development of zymotic diseases in
large cities, will find consolation for many
criticisms in the vital statistics of the CITY
OF Memphis since the extensive and pre-
sumably complete sewerage system de-
vlsed as preventive of epidemics was
finished. The experience of Memphis dur
ing the last great epidemic Of yellow fever
is too familiar to need discussion. On
January 20, 1880, under the supervision
of a distinguished engineer of the military
service of the United States, Major Ben
yiaurd, the execution of the plans of an
elaborate sewerage system was COM
menced, and on July /. 1881. the last con-
Meeting link was laid and the work fin
ished. From the distinction earned by
the superintendent during the war it NAV
be presumed that the requisites of enlight-
ened sanitary engineering have been fairly
met in all particulars, and vet if the last
report of the health officials of the city
may be relied upon, the result has been
an increase, not a diminutiOn of the death
rate, which has been steadily augmenting
during the last eighteen months. as COM
pared with the twelve months that i'm
mediately preceded the laying of the first
sewer. Fortunately. for the comparative
statist, no local epidemic of any magni-
ture has marked either of the periods
| specified, and comparison may be fairly
instituted upon the basis of the figures
furnished by the reports. In the progress
of the work more than thirty miles of
sewer pipes have been laid, and more
than thirty-five hundred buildings con-
nected with these arteries of decomposing
material. The most approved Joints.
traps, and ventilating devices have been
used, and nothing essential to comply
with the demands of scientific sanitation
has been neglected. The result has been
settled and apparently consequent in
crease OF the ratio of mortality. From
what disease? is the first natural inquiry.
ana the answer is one so specifically Op-
! posed to accepted doctrines of sanitary
engineering as to be worthy of particu-
lar attention. In the typhoid group
there has been no notable variation; but
the deaths from dysentery have doubled,
and those from diphtheria have more than
| quadrupled. To these two diseases, stead
| lily increasing in prevalence and malignan.
cy, and intimately related to the malarial
group, the unexpected and discouraging
record has been due; and it would really
seem as If they are right who contend that
no ingenuity of trap, valve, or ventilation
| no hdIter now carefully executed in
every detail, can prevent the procolatlon
OF nOXlous gases into a dwelling-house
| that is directly connected with sew.
| age mains. 1t is an assured fact sthat
! since the attention of sanitary engineers
has been especially directed to this
| subject in this city tracing back
the agitation for the last three years
| there has been a steady increase in the
annual ratio of mortality. There have
| been no great epidemics to account fol
| this fact; tenement and apartment houses
have been steadily improving in sanitary
| provisions; the streets have been KEEP
| cleaner than before; our recent structures
have comprised all the requisites of gOOC
| plumbing and good engineering; and yet
as in Memphis, dysentery and diphtheria
have obstinately persisted in strengthen
! ing their hold. Why not test the system
so lately discussed and approved by the
Academy of Medicine-namely, to place
the water closet in a separate building il
rear of the main structure, connected
with it by covered and well heated gal
leries if desired, and to exclude all direct
connection with the sewage mains from
our parlOrs and sleeping rooms? Unit
the present system of direct connection
was adopted diphtheria was infrequent
and dysentery a rare disease, and it is fail
to infer that their recent prevalence is il
some manner due to the latter mode OF
building.