Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-11
Purify Our City.

The eminent German philosopher and
physician, DIR. Koch. an able professor
and writer on the subject ofmicroscopy,
who was sent to Eovpt to nvestigate
the cause OF cholera. has made report
to the German Government Of his re-
searches, in which he states that he has
found that cholera 10 due to a living
microscopic organism, oi tlread-like
shape, called baciiios, siuiiar TO the or
ganism which the learned professor first
detected as a cause Of consumption, and
made the same known to the world.
Prof. Koch is ably supported by the
Government and will visit India and per-
sue bis Investigations in that country on
the Same subject. He will also investi.
gate the communicabilty to other ani.
mails of this insidious and deadly organ
ism.
The world OF science owes much to
the researches of this most eminent
biologist, and the people OF Los Angeles
should take heed to the conclusions at
which he arrives. The baciiia breeds
in vicious atmosphere. Hence TO
avoid this unseen enemy the air must be
made pure. The most enlightened ren
must bo elected to our city Offices, aud
the city put in good sanitary condi.
tion. The climate OF Los Angeles coun-
ty is uniivalled. but the building cf a
city therein. with its tens of thousands
of people, and its thousands OF domestic
animals, must create pollution OF the
earth and the air that will be favorable
to the propagation Of these germs Of
consumption.
The cholera may never reach us, but
we must not presume too much on an
immunity from its presence. II will
come where filth is prevalent. 1t will
come where drainage Is obstructed and
bad. II will come where cess pools and
privies are placed near wells OF water
that is used for domestic consumption.
1t will como where sewerage is bad and
filth is left to rot on tho surface OF the
earth. 1t has decimated little country
towns in the interior Of States far re-
moved from the filth OF great cities, but
the secret of its visit was in cess pools
and bad drainage. Yellow fever has
similar attraction to places of filth.
Hermosillo, in Sonora, is one Of the
fairest towns of Mexico, but it was
scourged and decimated with yellow
fever till the sick were almost as numer-
GUS as the people in health, aud all in
consequence of no sewerage. and conse-
quently of bad air and polluted water.
1t is possible that cholera will never
come to Los Angeles, and that yellow
fever may always pass by us, but If
these do not come with their proper ban
ners and titles, some other disease will
come in their stead. Consumption
thrives on bad air. Pneumonia fourishes
in miasma and uncleanliness, and its
brother, bronchitis. floats upon vicious
air and, aattacks those that have been
enfeebled by IL
Bilious fevers and typhoids, Group
and diphtheria dwell where the air and
water are bad.
Los Angeles is peculiarly favored, as
city, for health. but we must not pre-
sume too far on our constant sunshine
and salubrious seabreeze. With the
rapid concentration Of population comes
concentration of filth that must be
taken care of jud;ciously. Our sewers
must ramify the town and cesspools be
abolished, The water for domestic use
will have to be carried in pipes and
stored in cemented reservoirs. Our pres
ent main sewer must be extended far
beyond the city boundary and eventual
ly to the ocean. But the greatest sani-
tary demand at the present time, is to
rave our streets with some substance
Tint can be cleansed, and at the same
time is indestructible. 70 do this our
own city hills furnish the clay for brick,
the oil for their immersion and the as
phaltum for their coating and setting.
Such combination Of advantages is
seldom found on the earth as exists
within our city limits. Main street,
Spring street and Los Angeles street, and
the short cross streets from Second street
to the Plaza, are composed of earth that
has been soaked in filth for century,
and the entire surface should be carried
away and placed as levee on the bank
of the river, and in its place in the street
a pavement Of large brick, set up end
wise. soaked in petroleum. and smeared
and set in asphaltum. Such pavement
would not absorb and exhale fluid poi
son, and the whole surface could be
swept and washed. The matter of which
it is composed is indestructible and free
from baleful odors. The asphaltum
Grated bricks of Babylon and Nineveh,
after $500 years have passed, are sound
at the present time.
These matters should he thoaght of in
the approaching charter election. The
health Of the city is the most important
subject for the Council TO consider, and
that being granted, some enlightened
physician and some capable sanitary
engineer should be elected to the City
Council, OF which we have got to elect
nine members in few days Fat such
men in Office and keep them there and
thea VI nay expect no bacitla to add
frict on to the wheels of life, and more of
comfort longevity and happiness. and
happiness Is heaven.