Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-26
rxnrls or a10DERx LIFE.


PERrLs or lfODERN LIFE.
Eisctricity anA eswse 0as-Unhssuthy
Dlsanfoceaato,
From the n. Y. 0tas.
.Modern llfb, with its new pleasures and
posoibilltIes. bringu new dangers and cAuses
81 Death" aid William J. Holboro, the
sanitary engineer, 70 Q party Of friends ut
the Fikh Avenue hctsl lase evening.
ain my pssissaiou I continually N.
the oddesG 10 whom IN slectric-lisat current
gets looss and enters the plumbing Of .
Building. Most heusss are dry and warm,
and the laths, mortar and woodwork oct
% good insulatcrs Of the pipee In one
CAS- OF this sort the current Knocked down,
In succession, the head Of the family, who
tried to use the bathtub; the wife, who
and servant who was working ut sink.
On another occasion, . stray current ran
into the burglar-a1arm current wires and
knocked down the head OF the house the
moment he touched the doorkn0b. Similar
70 these accidents are thoee whom . loose
burglar alarm, ring . telephone jingler, or
set all the electric bells Of au apartment
house going. All OF these are dangerous,
but seldom are deadly. The worst thAt
usually happens II TO sst the house afrs.
It 10 mot altogelher pleasant 10 have con.
6agration, nor to recelvs. . severe shock
fear Of malaria and sewer gas many timid
housekeepers 90 n an extreme Of carefnl-
ness which often works harm. For OK.
ample, the moderate use Of disinfectante In
any building 10 . very good thing. but
when, - II too frequently the case, vast
thrown everywhere indiscriminately, there
is danger OF these injurlng human health.
The wholesale use OF white vitriol, green
copperas and blue vitriol to purify the
sewer pipes Of ofhouses 10 very Questionable,
~ these compounds are % strong and cor
rosive that they VAL eat holes through q,
The best disinfectsnts are pure air and
water; = sewer pipe requires ventilation
and any amount OF clean water. In this
respect Il Is very much like human being.
am glad to see that there is . growing re-
turn to the old fashioned practice Of having
rather than . washbaain with . direct
scwer attachment. II II better from an
artistic standpoint, and much better a. q
matter Of sanitary science. When the
latter Is used 1t should be we'll tapped and
ventilated, with metallic sink beneath 1t.
The latter and the interior Of tho case
should be not only kept dry, but should
fortnight. Unless this IL done, either q
mold will form or else there will be grad
ual accumulation Of ammoniacal emana-
tons, which are destructive, II not poison
GUS. 1t 10 hard to 0vercstimate the cor
rosive power of these intangible gases At
the Board Of Health last month / saw .
piece Of finely enameled iron which had
been made by one Of the best manu- facturers
In the trade. Yet these gases In the course
of few years had attacked both metal and
porcelain glaze, and had eaten them up,
so that they were crumhling honeycombs.
Frequently I have seen cast-iron, and
even wrought iron pipes, that had been
gradually converted fufo shells Of rust by
this invisible action Of pernicious gases
and vapors. Another odd fact worthy Of
being remembered 10 that the moro deadly
gases have no color and little or no odor.
The great majority Of those which smell
bad are not Injurious. The gas formed by
burning sulphur IL almost unbearable,
even In the smallest proportion. But 1t 10
an excellent antiseptic and disinfectant.
On the other hand, sewer gas and carbonic
oxide, which comes from burning charcoal,
are almost cOlorless, odoriess and tastel ess,
and are deadly as = rattlesnake."