Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-08

sanitarian, has visited the town. He dis
covered that the disease was virulent
scarlet fever, and that the cause Of the
epidemic was Due first to the unsanitary
local conditions, and second to the careless
ness Of the people in not isolating the cases.
Thus, those convalescent and yet capable
of communicating the disease were
allowed to mingle with the public The
sanitary conditions were bad, yet it is a
place where by the least exertion almost
perfect sanitation can lie secured. But
what is everybody's business is nobody's,
and hence 9Th is allowed to accumulate,
animal matter to decay in streets and
beneath houses, drains to become foul and
the soil to become soured. SO soon as atten-
ton was called to there things the citizens
of the place entered upon cleaning
day, and are now at work, after the horse
is stolen, putting lock on the stable door.
But there is no law to compel the careless
and stubborn in unincorporated towns to
conform to sanitary regulation. In such a
situation one ignorant or stubborn man may
put in peril the homes of an entire COM
munity. The Supervisors may, but are
not required to, appoint health officer
and to prescribe sanitary regulations.
What is needed is a law to require the
county Supervisors to do these things for
every considerable village and settlement
in every county where there is no town
corporation. There are very few incor-
porated towns i'll the State, but any guam
tity of large towns and good-sized villages
that in the eye of the law have no exist
ence as such. When the State Board of
Health come to the Legislature and urges
the passage of proper health laws for these
places, the members Of the House and
Senate as rule pay little heed TO the adj
vice. The doctors, indeed, have very li.ttie
influence with these bodies, which are very
busy at every session casting about for
party advantage, creating and filling of
fees, regulating business making states
men and political capital, and preparing
records for future campaigns. The public
health is an interest that does not run for
Office, it has no axes to grind, no political
schemes to advance 10 paid advocates, no
statesmen 10 promote, no preferments,
bosses, rings, steaiiugs or local pockets to
fill or assess. As a consequence it has no
lobby, and its advocates are weak
factors. Legislators can give it the
cold shoulder with a nonchalance
that brings 10 after-claps. What is
needed is that in the several counties the
people shall call legislative candidates up
to the rack and ascertain whether they
deem legislation for the public health a
matter worthy OF any consideration at all.
They need To inform themselves as to
whether Hons. John, Tom or Harry have
any conception of the fact that the public
health is a matter with such claims of
humanity to fortify it that it is little less
than criminal to turn to it a deaf ear.
When epidemic disease assails Us in Cali
fornia, we will find that the outlying
places will suffer more than the cities and
large towns, from the simple fact that they
have no sanitary protection, no system of
prevention, no laws giving them power to
protect themselves. 1t is not so in the
older States it should not be so here.
1t is shameful that we have neglected
these matters as we have. Let the resi-
dents of the villages and towns, whose
lives are just as precious, whose homes are
entitled to lust as much of protection,
whose children are just as dear 20 them,
as in the cases of metropolitans, make
themselves felt in this matter 1t is the
easiest thing in the world to do No cam
didate will dare refuse them, no officers
elected will hazard their anger by neglect
ing them. They can sway the next Legis-
lature in this matter if they will