Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-06-29
WESTON.
DepIorab!e Condition of Jails-t;oods Hints
About Health.

DeploTable Condition of Jai!s-GoodS linus
About Health.
Social Cyrreyporfstos Of the Sunday Register
WESTON, June 26.-Your correspondent
wishes TO call the attention Of the STATE
Board of Health" to the deplorable condi-
ton Of the county jails. Out OF a number
recently under observation not one Is Kept
even with reference 10 the most foreign
principles of deCency.
Should cholera, typhoid or any conta-
gious or infectious disease visit our county
seats every inmate (msny Of them lunatcs)
would undoubtedly die unless steps were
taken 10 render the jails more decent.
Every local Board OF Health should be wide
awake. Not for prevention of disease alone
should this be done, but for the sake OF
humanity, should it be looked after Every
taller should be made to have decencyif he
Is such brute as not to have it. Some of
the iails are nothing to compare in decency
to the worst wards in city hospitals or in
sane asylums. 1t is next to miraculous
that o prisoner lives from one term Of court
to another, retaining his health, or lunatic
comes to the hospital in any other than an
emaciated condition. Let the County
Boards of Health and all the medical fra
terbity go 70 work.
Civil organizations can scarcely be
blamed for delay in recognizing health
bureaus as an important and necessary part
of their organization, since medical institu-
tons have been tardy in elevating the chair
Of Hygiene into first place in their
faculty,
Medical men should be regarded as
health protectors as well as health restorers,
and can they confer greater boon upon
humanity than by becoming the leaders IN
such cause? Certainly not, TOR disease IS
the Parent of crime rs it is itself the child
Of the Unclean.
This is hdeous truth. The prisone!
who loses his life in Jail from preventa'
bic disease Is murdered by his Indifferent
keeper In fact some of the iails as they
are, are living charGcls. AS Ignorance OF
law'GCeS NOT protect its criminal violation
wis should ignorance Of sanitary laws be
any less 10 reprehensible?
4 The prime conditions OF health in a house
depend upon cleanliness, pure air, unpJi-
luted water and nutritious food the
prompt removal Of al! refuse;
and TIE perfect exclusion OF all mater
arising outside Of the house. Jealous and
constant attention must be paid 10 cellars
pan'ries, passages, yards, outbuiIding7, SO
as to prevent the accumulation Of filth, gar
bage or masses ofdecomposing organic mat
ter, which are so preiudicisl TO health.
Mould, dappness and foul smells are never
to be neglected, even for few hours. \
bad smell is natures warning Of danger.
Eternal vigilance in these matters is the
price Of health in the family.
I he people need TO be taught that pre-.
ven,ion is better than cure and far cheaper,
that it is much better to so live that disin'
tectants will not be needed, than to be care
less of refuse matter, Of pure water, OF ven.
tilatior, OF cleanliness, Of house, Of yard and
of person, and then strive by means OF
chemicals to purify great masses Of filth in
the house and its surroundings. Again, let
the medical profession awaken, for those
poor unfortunates deserve something better
than Imprisonment Of the Dark Ages, or
half civilized, even If they be criminals.
OBSERVER