The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-05-28
LAMBERTvILLE, N. j.
Wednesday, May %, 1884.
Sanitary REFORM.

Sanitary Reform.
AS the warm weather is rapidly ap-
preaching, 1t may be well for us to calmly
enter upon a subject which is certainly
one of the most important to which our
serious attention can be directed. The
condition of the surface of the EARTH af-
ter its saturation to an extent, by the
frosts Of winter and the rainfall of spring,
is such, that when it is being subjected 10
an increasing solar heat, as it is at pre-
sent, it gives off an amount of moisture
that aided by the higher temperature pre-
vailing, supplies the essential conditions
under which the germs Of diseases are
bred and fostered. The presence of de-
caying animal and vegetable substances
upon its surface, mingling the noxious
gases resulting from their decomposition
with the vapors now coming from the
earth, is the cause of our too often fatal
maladies, that as epidemics, scourge our
neighborhoods and decimate our families.
1t is one Of the fundamental laws of ply
sic, that in order to cure n disease you
must at the same time try to remove the
cause. The blessed light of science in
modern times. has opened to our eyes,
the hitherto blind portals Of the causation
of disease, and we are able to state in
diligently the reasons for, and the way to
avoid 1t. The old superstitious idea pre-
yalent in olden times, that diseases were
the visitations of providence, and there
fore unpreventable, has melted away I'M
der the common sense of this modern age
Diseases are really the result of the in
fringement of the laws of nature, and of the
human system, and not especially sent by
God to afilict either the wicked, or the
pious. As the "Sun shines upon the just
and the unjust" so do the laws Of nature
provide enjoyment of life to those who OBJ
serve them. Heaven does not delight in
the suffering Of the innocent babe; it is to
our own neglect of sanitary laws, the laws
of health, that VIC must look for the pun
ishment received and inflicted upon others
who are blameless Let us then, as it is
evident that disease was intended, SO to
speak, to be the result Of violations of
physical laws, and to make us Clearly and
hence more moral see what methods are
best to be adopted to try and check the
spread Of diseases in our midst. First,
chemistry teaches US, that we must re-
move the causes. Let all decaying sub
stances, either animal or vegetable, be re-
moved from the premises, not put away
in heaps, lightly covered with earth and
lime. Decaying cabbages in garden.
have been known to have produced diph
liberia, in several instances. Use white.
wash freely in the cellars and about the
dwellings; dissolve some crystals Of cop
peras in hot water and put into the white
wash also, sprinkle some of the copperas
water about the yard, the outside drains,
and in the cellars. One of the most COM
mon and dangerous sources of disease
because SO frequently neglected, is an i'm
proper arrangement Of the discharge pipe
or pipes from the dwelling TO the cess
pool, where water closets are used AL
ways have an open pipe connected with
the closed cess pool in the yard, and eth
err run it directly into chimney that has
current Of warm air passing throughout
its extent at all times, "a cold walled
chimney will not answer,) or run tho pipe
up some distance in the open air above
tho vault, so as to afford an outlet for the
pent mp sewer gas, and relieve the pref
sure in the discharge pipe leading from
the dwelling to the cess pool. Always
keep the water closet pan filled to GER
tain height with water. Neglect these
precautions, and the gas from the vault
will find its way up the pipe and make its
exit in your bed chamber or bath room.
Remember that the most deadly gas, has
often the least odor. 1t is the cause of ty-
phoid fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria,
and host of dangerous Diseases
Whole families we're swept away at
one time, in Now York City, by the
choking up Of q sewer and the consequent
escape of gas into dwellings near by,
through the waste pipes leading into it
from washstands and bath tubs. A few
dollars judiciously expended in repairs,
may save life. Another cause, and very
prolific one, is in drinking impure water
Drinking wells are often located near
vaults and cess pools, the drainage from
the latter passing often from a higher
strata to lower one, communicating the
water in the we'll. Finally, have plenty
of fresh air passing in and through dwell
lings and cellars. A cheap method of
cooling the air effectively during the heat
cd term, is to have frames OF mosquito net.
ting placed in the windows first boil the
netting to remove sizing), and sponge the
netting at intervals with water. Try this
plan. Above all, when there are cases Of
contagious disease, cease all visiting from
house to house, as is customary. One Cos
siping neighbor can easily carry in her
clothing, the germs of measles, scarlet
fever, diphtheria, &C., to q score of inno-
cent children, and make them the victim
Of her culpable carelessness Were this
precaution observed, physicians would
have some chance in trying to check the
progress of epidemic and contagious di.
seases. 1t is time that people were as
well educated in the causes of diseases as
they are in business matters. Which IS
the more important?
->.-s~-.> -
Ree{n ed Haraeic