The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-12-01
Sanitary Reflections.


rank in the scale OF civilization is the
treatment of women. Doubtless this
is pretty good test, but there seems
to be another which is not less signif-
cant. IL is the sanitary conditions and
regulations of our towns. II the san
itary conditions are not properly
looked after, the people so offending
and such negligence is worse than
an offense, II is crime-cannot hope
to escape the penalty. That it is so
paid, aud at fearful rate, is attested
by the death-rate. This death-rate,
even in crowded and cemetery-con-
taminated London has of late been, by
various improved conditions, reduced
to about sixteen in every one thou
sand inhabitants. 1t is a shamefully
large one In some OF the Mexican and
South American cities. The City of
Mexico is built upon a table land
nearly 1900 miles above the level of
the sea, is entirely without drainage,
and the mortality is at the high rate
of fifty to every one thousand of popu-
lation, annually. In Guanajanto, a
Mexican city of $1,000 inhabitants, the
death-rate is seventy-four per thou
sand. In Bogota, the capital of the
South American republic of New
Grenada, a city of about 10000 inhab-
itants, and built ON mountain plain
more than eight thousand feet above
sea level, there are no drains or sew
ers and the offensive condition of the
streets and houses is noticed by every
visitor. The death-rate there is not
published, but it is professionally
far greater than il should be.
Undoubtedly the authorities de-
signedly withhold the rate from
the public, and for no other
or better reason than they are
averse to dealing their city such a
blow as the publication of the facts
would constitute. They are willing
20 see innocent victims thus added to
pestilence simply TO keep up the com
mercial reports of the place. 1t seems
to us that il would cost far less in
money and infinitely less in feeling to
place the city in fair sanitary con-
dition and thus do away with this in
furious condition aud the objection to
the place as commercial center OF
trade point. Are we not, here in
Waco, acting too much upon this the
Dry? II is true we have commenced
ditching. That is all good, as far as
it goes, but the system of drainage
ought to be more sweeping and thor
ough, sufficient in TACT, not only to
carry away every drop of storm wa
ter as it falls, but to carry away and
dispose OF every drop and ounce Of
refuse matter long ere the period Of
decay and fermentation arrives.
We do not belong TO the efiete and
played out Spanish blood. We ART
Anglo-Saxon,and full of energy, pro
gress, intelligence and patriotism
Yet, we have done little more thar
the City OF Mexico, and have com.
menced but little before Bogots, to
teach the world that we are entitled
to be considered as among the civil.
lied cities of tho world. Is it money
we need That cannot be, because
one-fourth of one per cent. upon our
taxable values for one year,
would create such a system
Of drainage as would forever place
Waco as amoug the healthiest places
on the globe. There is positively no
other known or possible cause OF
sickness here other than that which
comes from the foul air caused by the
uuremoved filth, which thorough
system of drainage would at once
correct, and correct for all time, too.
We are thoroughly alive to all
other measures of business. ALI
other matters calculated to attract
business are attended TO. Why is it,
then, that in this one single and pres
sing interest we are inert and listless?
II strikes us that there is species of
unfaithfulness in il which borders
closely upon siDfulness. If we have
not city council which will attend
to this matter, raise money and have