The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-08-02

None of our readers need be told that the
water supplied for consumption by residents
in this city is in disgracefuliy turbid and
polluted condition. Tfstarinking of such
water accounts, without any other contribu-
tory, for the very general prevalence of
cramps, diarrh@a and collie among our eti-
zens. In susceptible persons the poison is
strong enough to set up enteritis, peritonitis
and other serious intestinal affections.
The fact that IA of the deaths last week
were assigned to Cholera Infantum confirms
the impression that the sanitary condition OF
the city is defective, because the mortality
from this affection is usually in the direct
ratio of the amount of bad air, bad water
and bad living amid which children are
brought up. We do not hesitate to say that
the Board of Health, while merely taking a
proper precaution in soliciting quarantine
station for the district against Asatic
Cholera, does not display proper apprecia-
ton Of the unhealthy conditions by which
the health of our people is prejudicially il
If not seriously affected.
The state of Shipley Run is little if, any
thing, better than that of an open sewer run
ming through populous Streets and in many
cases freely communicating with the interior
of houses, owing to defective plumbing ant
carelessness in making the connections
Secondly, the manner in which vacant lot
} in the western part of the city are beinl
filled up, is standing disgrace TO the com
{ munity. One of these, forming the bed o
e Morrow street, between Eighth and Ninth
: is a conspicuous example. The material
Q used for filling in consist of filth of ever
description. In the evening, after warm da
the residents on Monroe and Madison street
+ are almost driven indo RS by the stenc
is arising from this receptacle of all nastines'
It The products from decomposing an
n NAL matter under high solar temperatul
l. are of themselves dangerous, but becon
e specially SO when associated with larg
y quantities of moisture arising from a bogg
}. soil. Let the authorities who have al
d honest doubts on the subject take walk {
IS Morrow street between Eighth and Mint
Of Let them mark the quantities of househo
8 refuse which are cast out to add to II
re putrefying mass on which, in the tulne
of time houses are to be built. Let the
IS mark the filthy stream of water, fowl
a through rank mass of vegetation, in Il
Of open part of the lot. Then, we apprehen
y: they will be compelled to admit that the
of are ample means of accounting for the wi
er spread diffusion of choleraic and zymot
ut affections; in short all the conditions III
in favor the continuance of death rate abs
cs lutely startling in its proportions.
6. Under good sanitary conditions, chile
en- infautum is almost thing unknown, mar;
is mus is rare, and consumption is arrested
de its progress. Bu- last week IA children di
Use of cholera infantum, two of marasmus, VIII
six victims succumbed to consumption a
no as many more to diseases of mal-assimilati
he and nutrition. Here are 28 deaths out of
AN which are chiefly, if not entirely, assigna
is TO bad water, and bad air. No medi
a expert will contradict the fact that the C
lty dition of the vacant lots in the city of v
nd mington is standing premium on disc
led and cath,