The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-20
FOR THE oIrY's HEALTH.
DR.. LeHardy's RecOmm endations to
the Sanitary Association.


The annual report of Dr. J. C. LeHardy
medical director of the Citizens Sanitary
Association, which was read at the
meeting of the association on Monday night,
was listened to with deep interest,
covering, as it did, many subjects of vital
Importance to the people in connec
ton with the sanitation of Savannah. AS
the report deals with the questions of water
supply, house drainage, the disposition of
garbage, the drainage of unsanitary lands
in and about the city, and the system Of
quarantine and quarantine regulations, it
is herewith subjoined, and will be found
both instructive and interesting:
In the report made to TINS association last
! November | pointed out the danger to
which this city is constantly exposed OF
| having its supply of water cut off at any
moment, and to the advisability OF furnish
! ing another source Independent oil the
present water works, the main pipe from
| which is exposed at all times to the risk OF
destruction from various causes.
/ recommended the boring of one or moro
deep artesian wells within the city, because
! | believe that such wells would furnish
certain and constant flow, and they wo I'D
cost nothing except the boring, thus reliev-
ing our citizens from an onerous tax upon
the greatest necessity Of life.
Your attention was also called to the ur-
gent necessity for some expeditions method
| of getti rid of human excreta and house
Stops before they have time TO putrefy
! This necessity exists, especially in the
| eastern aud western portions OF the city
| where deposits OF such filth have always
been potent in increasing the intensity Of
| yellow fever epidemics.
| Since that report was made new aldermen
and new mayor have been elected. The
policy of this board seems to favor the
| prosecution of sanitary work, but not find
ing in the treasury a sum which they deemed
sufficient to establish system of house
drainage, they have abandoned that project
for the present year, and it is to be hoped
that they will have no occasion to
regret IT, Under these circums anres it
| was suggested by your president, tnat the
privy vaults east and west he filed with
sand, and replaced by the ROchdale pals,
that is to say by tubs partly filed with dry
earth, to be removed at short intervals.
This suggestion has been considered by
| your health committee and the method
recommended for adoption as a temporary
expedient The pail system is one OF the
most sanitary ways of disposing of night
soil, and should it prove practicable in this
CITY, it viii enable the authorities to drain
the low levels directly into the river with
out danger Of COMMUNICATING its waters.
The disposal Of dead animals, offal and
garbage is, ! am glad to see, attracting the
earnest attention of the mayor and alder
men. Cremation is u questionably the
most expeditions and sanitary mode of de-
| strOying this ever increasing filth, provided
tho crematory selected be ono which will
| not only reduce to ashes the crude
material, but will also burn the
gases emanating therefrom both during
and before combustion, making the process
OdOrless and innOcuouS. 1t is to be hoped
that such CrematOry will be put into OPP
GRAFTON before hot weather seu5 in, and that
the garbage will be removed i'll the after
noon, as under the present arrangement
tons Of putrefying matter are exposed
during the hottest part of the day aud the
whole Of the night under the very noses of
our citizens, rich and poor alike.
| now offer for your earnest cOnsldera-
ton the defective drainage of the low lands
surrounding the city north, east and west
as a source Of imminent danger TO public
health at all times, but especially this year
when the rain fall Is already over 2 inches
in excess Of the average of the past sixteen
years. HutchnsOn's Island, although per
haps well protected against storm over
flows, is not properly drained, and the
greater part of that extensive tract is damp
and sobby, neither fitted for cultivation
nor at all sanitary. The existing drains
ought to be dug deeper and kept clean, and
free from vegetation all the year round
The portion Of the Ogeechee canal i'm
mediately west of the city and the adjacent
land, the property of the Central Railroad
Company and Others which your Inspector
reports to be in bad sanitary condition" can
and should be improved The land should be
we'll drained and the canal filed up in order
to remove from that neighborhood a con-
slant source of danger during the summer
and fall months. The drains in the Spring
field tract require the same attention
which is recommended for Hutchinson's
Island. The bitches and drains on the east
ern slope, extending from the river to
Lovers lane and beyond, are also reported
as foul, requiring deepening and cleansing.
A portion of the yard of the Savannah,
Florida and Western Railway COMPANY
and the whole of the property of that COM
pany along the river needs better drain
ing, and no time should be
lost in placing this large extent
of land in sanitary condition.
The low lands Immediately east of the city
comprising the Lamar and thu Lawton
tracts are now IN malarious condition.
AS this property is leased by the city there
is no reason why the nuisance should not be
ab1ted at once.
Your inspector reports the market base
ment to be in a condition most foul and
unsavory; so foul, indeed, that the meat,
the fish and vegetables must be tainted and
poisoned, and the health of those frequent
|
must be injured by its emanations.
Although we have before our eyes the ex-
ample of New Orleans, a city so much ex-
posed TO the ravages Of yellow fever that
it has on its records forty-three visitations
from that disease against only four in Sa-
vannah, the policy of long detention and of
heavy expense to owners and consignees is
still pursued by our city authorities, fully
aware, as they are, that under that
policy our summer trade has been
completely destroyed, while our
city has not been protected from
yellow fever. See health officers report
for 1876 That there is no reason for con
tinuing such "A policy is amply proven by
the recent experiments in ship or maritime
sanitation made at New Orleans. Under
the system in use there since 1885 the de-
tention OF vessels has been much shortened
the expense to shipping greatly reduced,
the importation of infection through
shipping made impossible, and the
summer trade has been astonshingly
increased. The vital Importance of this
matter to the prosperity OF Savannah
seems to require that your committee on
shipping and quarantine should make a
thorough investigation and report the re-
suit TO this association at as early date
as possible.
Idleness is a Dangerous Fault
In the Kidneys. When inactive they speedily
fall into disrepair Those obstinate aud fatal