Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-24
THE SANITARY QUESTION.

Thee is no denying that large num-
Der Of otherwise very cstimable people do
resist public samitory regulations. It is all
the more necessary, therefore. that NUM-
cipal sanitation should be enforced. We
repeat, it cannot be left to individuals. The
majority right thinking, will clean up
q majority will negative the labor by re-
manning apathctiC, or by outright resistance.
For instance, only day or two ago one of
the we4lthiest citizens one able to do much
for the good Of the city, or who Oil the adj
vent Of an epidemic is perfectly able to
take his family and flee 20 the mountains
or sea, or to the uttcrnost parts Of the earth
declared publicly that he believed the au-
thoritics had no right to compel a man to
expend money to clean mp his premises,
or adopt sanitary precautions. If the
cholera or yellow fever comes let them
come If they don't its all right" This
kind q iatalism is simply astounding. 1t
proceeds upon the idea that man owes
nothing 10 the town III which he lives, that
there are no obligations upon him to 50
live a. to conserve the interests of the
whole commmiiy-at least to 50 maintain
his premises a, not TO expose his neighboI
unnecessarily to danger II must he CON
fessed, that while our Health Officer is eff
cient. and dutful, the steps taken in regard
TO the sanitation of the city generally are
very unsatisfactory. Particularly, outside
of the attention given to China slough and
the work Of improving the drainage, moi
nearly so much has been done as should
have been. II il ROW nearly a month since
cholera and yellow fever appeared, and
their progress has been steady and unstayed
Neither may reach us this seasOn-eitheI
or both may within week Yet the ncces-
sary inspection Of the city has not been
made, and none Of The steps have been
taken that are necessary to put the town il
fit condition to resist the discases-alwayS
excepting the laboro of the health officer
in assailinG foul ccSspoOlS and the like
But VIC repeat. no one man can do the
work, nor two, nor three. Nor can any
number do it, except the authorities yigor-
ously support them. We are having deal
OF talk and very little work In the mean
time, damp cellars remain closed. box
drains are foul, Stops overflow key reccpta
cles and sour the ground, some thousand,
Of filthy pits remain unclcaned, and are
innocent of disinfcctants Means are MOI
-.,,.,1;ol .I,o ,Nnn,fo a. s.bou1i Il, H., l.
the city 10 cheapiy cleanse filth repositories
4 minority stubbornly refuse to obey tn,
Health Officer; The Chinese quarter re
mains ready breeding place for the plague
and its foul Easements and the fouler carl
beneath its floors invite the propagation o
the seeds of disease. Very little importanc,
is to be attached to the scheme of PUMPING
fresh water into the slough The germ
ladencd waters of the pond will not he rem
dered harmless by dilution, nor if, as i
oontended, the place is fed by an undo
conduit, will the pumping scheme at al
affect the volume of the water or its level
The more sensible plan is To pump in sand
in aid of the scheme Of raising the grade o
street and alley, and the credit Of the city
should be pledged TO the full limit to carry
out some such plan. The problem of pre-
serving the cities and towns of the county
from serious assaults by cholera, is put in :
nutshell by the Philadelphia Medical Neies
"Cholera is filthy disease; its antidote is
cleanliness" So. too, the State Board o.
Health Of New York, sums up the proven,
tive when it urges upon all towns daily in
spection of yards and alleys, the cleaning
of pits and drainage oflow grounds, and the
removal or correction Of all filth and un-
sanitary matters. With these precautions