Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-28
CLEAN QUARTERS.
The Effect of Filthy Surroundings Upon
the Health of MAJ and Beast.

the Health of Man and Beast.
The Importance of cleanliness can not
be too often nor too strenuously dwelt
upon. No doubt many diseases with
which livestock is afflicted have their
origin in filth, just as the great epidem-
les among the human family did centu-
rics ago, before so much was known
about the principles of hygiene and the
benefits of drainage and cleanliness. 1t
is now known that all decaying and fer
menting matter develops millions and
billions of bacteria and other micro
scopic forms of animal and vegetable
life; that thu air is loaded with these,
and they are taken into the lungs of
animals and men who inhale it. In hot
weather these microbes are very active
and destructive. yellow fever RACES
only in hot weather, when these low
forms of life are most active. Malaria
of all kinds is most harmful to human
health in hot weather. All dccaying
matter, in these modern times, is known
to be inimical to health, and in our
large cities, at least once a
year-at the beginning of hot weather
the health officers inspect the pre!n-
ises of residents in large cities. Yet,
in view of these known facts and prac.
tees, many farmers keep their live
stock in ~fearfully filthy premises, or in
contact with filthy surroundings. Some
dairymen milk in quarters unfit for ami
NAL life to be in, and filthy yards and
stagnant water abound ever where. Too
often livestock are compelled to drink
this stagnant water because they can get
no other. Is it any marvel that so many
animals get sick? The following. from
q correspondent of the Mark Lane Er.
press, is just as applicable here as in
England:
II have noticed, in going into many
OF the farm-yards, fattening stalls, sta
bles and pig-styos in the country, be-
longing not only to the laboring classes
and farmers, but to noblemen and gem
tlemen who farm more for q hobby than
profit, the filthy state in which many of
them are kept. Stables badly drained,
the urine standing in a pool behind the
horses heels, owingto the paving stones
and bricks getting out of their places;
badly lighted and worse ventilated. Yet
farmers are surprised that their horses
are frequently on the sick list, and often
go blind. In cow-houses and fattening
sheds. again, one may notice that the
walls, floors and wooden partitions are
plastered owe with many a years accu-
mutations of manure. And what a
filthy state pigs are usually kept in.
often wallowing up to their bellies in
their own anure. With a small expense
these great hindrances to the comfort
and well-doing of the stock could be
altered. The frequent flushing with
water, now that a good supply is usually
obtained on most farms, would amply
repay time and trouble in the shape OF
valuable liquid manure The scraping
of the from the walls of the
cow-houses and boxes, the stables prop
erly lighted and ventilated. and the
drainage properly attended to. Also in
the pig-styes a very great improvement
could be made. A plentiful supply Of
hot lime used as whitewash, with gyp.
sum and disinfecting powder. Allthese
details being carefully attended to
would add very much to the progress Of
the stock. Every day animals ought to
udVc d Clctu Dcu, elluCf Oh STRAW OF
peat moss in the winter, and earth in
the miner The straw or manure, in
stead of being thrown out in the open
yard to spoil by sun and rain, could be
carted to an inexpensive homemade
shed, covered or matched on the top, SO
that the sun or rain should not iniure
it. Attention carefully paid to these
matters would not cause any more ex-
penses on a farm, and in many cases,
saving accidents, would, 1 can not but
think, prevent epidem;cs from spreading
among cattle, as they do now period
ically. In their natural or wild state,
cattle choose fresh places to rest and lie
down on every night, instinct, I sup
pose, telling them that this is one of the
real causes to keep healthy; but in the
artificial state in which they are kept
think that the least that can be done for
them is to see that they have clean bed
ding, houses and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
LlUc-StocE Journal