Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-12

E Il
for the exercise of experience and judg-
ment in each individual case. The
writer has in view only the furnishing
of such Information as will be available
when, fas in the case Of q severe epi-
demic) skilled attention may not be
, Immediately at hand.
i One more important question con-
nected with this subject claims our at
tention. What measures may be taken
i to protect the community and the in
dividual from the Cholera?
4 When this or any other pest is
known to exist at certain place, one
of the first means of security, is the
i prevention of any communication with
such infected locality. All persons ar
irving from suspected districts being
kept strictly apart during such time as
the disease may be expected to make
its appearance In those who have been
exposed, and only being allowed to
mix with the public at large after fum-
igations or other such precautions as
may be deemed necessary. This con-
stitutes Quarantine. and in urgent
cases its restrictions are not confined to
persons, but extended to all articles of
clothing or merchandise. While the
General Government of our own coun-
try is at the present moment doing
what it can to protectpur coasts from
foreign invasions of the infection, it
devolyes mere especially upon the
State Boards of Heath, to protect each
one its own borders.
Bnt whatever laws such Boards may
promulgate, or whatever advice they
may give, it depends upon families aud
individuals to put in force those rpgu-
iatons which shall be conducive to the
public health. No slops or offal of
any description should be allowed to
accumulate about a dwelling. nor
should they be thrown into privies or
cesspools which have no outlet. Under
present conditions, Pilot Knob would
furnish a disastrous field for ctrolera if
it ever once gets within its borders.
Right through the very middle of the
town runs branch, which is recep-
tacle for large portion of the sewage
of the place, and receives into its placid
bosom the contents of vaults, pig-pens
and stables, with an occasional dead
dog or cat, by way of variety. New if
this channel was at all times full of
water, the accumulating filth might
be carried of, and it would thus be-
come benefit instead of nuisance;
but when the hot June and July sun
shall come, this decemposing material
will be subjected to its influence, for at
that season of the year the creek be-
comes almost dry. Many citizen can
testify to the odor arising from this
source, and when in the snitry days of
summer, the atmosphere sometimes
stagnant, for nearly week at
a time, it alone would contaminate the
air throughout this end of our narrow
valley. One of the least excusablc and
at the same time most injurious state
of affairs was allowed to exist i'm that
portion Of our town known as New
England during the past summer. At
one time a considerable number of hogs
died of a disease supposed to have been
the Cholera, and the carcasses of these
hogs were, in several instances, allow
ed to remain where they fell, or thrown
into the creek but short distance
away, and so intolerable was the
especially at night, that it was
only miraculous that the people of that
section escaped the fate of the animals.
In fact the writer witnessed several
cases of so called Summer complaint
which he believes might honestly be
assigned to this cause. This is now
matter of the past, and is only referred
to in this connection, that it might not
be allowed in the future, for no man or
men have any more right, by their
negligence, to poison the air inhaled
erately poison the wells from which
hey drink. And, by the way, the
wells within this same section, are, so
ar as I am informed, mostly shallow,
.arried down to the rock only, and
furnish only surface water.
This ohjectionnl feature has in great
Measure been provided for, by the Ore
md Steel Company having 4 pipe
aid from one of the deep Artesian
wells, which is available for water at
very row. While this water is rather
warm in the heat Of Summer, and not
is palatable Oh that account, il comes
!eep from the bosom of mother earth,
nd cooled by ice will furnish the
,urest and best drink to be had the
oming season. The writer has been
sked If residence near reservoir or
arge body of water is unhealthy? Not
f the water covers the ground equally
f all seasons, but when such ponds
ry up and leave their beds exposed
0 the heat of summer, they furnish
he germ elements of disease with an
bundance second to hardly any other
ource, and such emanations predis-
,ose to diarrhna and dysentery, and
would very materially favor the in
'asion of EPIDEMIC CHOLERA.
A. II. SAWYER. NJ. d.
Pilot Knob, Feb. 7th, 1885.
An Answer Wanted.
49,. 7xrsT -