Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-07-24
AGRICULTURAL.
Unhealthy Homes.

A
| 1t is undoubtedly true that the mosl
favorable conditions for healthfulness
of mind and body are to be found on the
side of country life. Sunshine, pure air
and outdoor exercise are each conducive
to strength of body and length of days
But feeling seems to exist among
many who live in country homes, thai
I by virtue of their natural healthy SUR
roundings. their outdoor life and occupa-
tions, they may safely set at naught the
plainest hygienic and sanitary Iules. Nc
doubt the pure air, which they cannot
help but breathe when out of doors, and
the vigorous open air employment, in
which they must engage. does tend for .
time to counteract the influence of un-
heslthful habits and improper ways OF
living. But the imprudent exposures
the improper diet, the lack of cleanli-
ness, the tainted, damp air of sleeping
rooms, begin to show their effects before
the prime of life Is past in many painful
and disagreeable ways. Rheumatic and
dyspeptic troubles and nervous affec.
Lions are some of the methods by which
nature Furnishes these trangressors OF
her laws. 1t is fact that diseases com.
| ing under the head of those mentioned
are more common in the farming regions
than anywhere else. A distinguished
medical auti oily has put it on record
that insanity, which so frequently breaks
out in farmers families, is mainly caused
| by the severe and constant manual labor
with innutritious food, Improperly Sc,
lected OF poorly cooked.
In the building of country homes gen.
orally very. little attention is paid to
proper ventilation, drainage and other
health considerations. The sleeping
rooms are often constructed in utter de-
fiance of the plainsst sanitary regula
tioHs. Their situation as respects light
| beat and ventilation are often as bad AS
circumstances will permit. The living
rooms in winter are poorly and irregu-
| larly heated, and the inmates are con-
| stantly exposed to sudden drafts and
chills from open doors and easements.
And as a breeder of disease there are
| few things that excel the average farm
house cellar. 1t underlies the whole
| house, with nothing to prevent its exha"
| latiOns rising into the upper rooms eX-
cept thin board floor. In this cellar all
manner of things for family use are kept
the season round. Meat, vegetables,
milk, butter, bread, pastry, preserves.
pickles and fruit are here stored in their
various receptaeles. There is very sell
dom anything to separate the fruit and
vegetables from the other parts of the
cellar, and there is usually more or less
0ecaying vegetable matter to load the
air with poisonous germs. at various
nf ha % oil
lect dampnesS, or small pools of water
| lie under their loose board floors, send
ing up malariOuS OdorS into the ROOMS
above.
It is very frequently the case that
| there is no system of drainage at all
unless the process of nature eau be called
| by that name. The rain water from the
caves, and the slops from the kitchen
sink and dairy house are carried at the
most but q few feet away and are then
left to sink into the ground or to form
| fostering pools on top, at their pleasure.
A condition of things that would put
the inhabitants of city block in panic
of alarm, and cause the peremptOry i'll
reference of the health officers, is Suf-
| fered to exist for years under the shadow
of country homes. Water for family
use is often drawn from springs and
wells that cannot be otherwise than
affected by the surrounding drainage,
and especially for their contiguitY to The
| farm yard and to other like unsavory
places.
In matters of diet there is the same
reckless disregard of the rules of health.
| In the busy seasos especially, the meals
scarcely an interval of rest afterwards
for the digestive organs to perform thei'
work.
| And there is very much less attention
paid to personal cleanliness than cOnsid-
eratioHs of health and comfort would
Sem to require. This is owing largely
| to lack OF those facilities for the use of
water that are so common in city homes
For people who are employed in fields
and around farm yards, toiling and
sweating all day, it would seem that fire.
quent and general abluLions would be
! quite essential. 1t might not he an easy
matter to build country residences with
heating apparatus and hot and cold
water pipes, but they might be con
structed with view to proper ventila-
ton and drainage. and it would cost but
little more in the beginning to furnIsh
them with bath rooms. The cellar could
be arranged with some regard for health
fulness and, at least, kept free of gar
bage. The barns and other out houses
could be placed at respectable distance
from residences. and the surroundings
of the latter might be kept pure and
clean. There might be less haste and
more manners at the family table and
fewer hncheons before retiring to bed at
night.