The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-10
FOR SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS.
The Endeavors of The Times
Endorsed by Physician,

Endorsed by Physician,
Who Also Endorses the Suggestion of
City Engineer Dunlap-The Dry Earth
system Should be Adopted aud Rightly
Enforced rs an Aid to Sewcrage--Rc
move the Cause of Disease and the
Effect VIII Disappear.
This question Of proper sanitation is
one OF vital importoncc," said Il physi-
clan to reporter for The TIMES yes
terday, land the course of THE TINES
in keeping it constantly before the pub
lie is deserving of much praise.
"Mr. Dunlap made Il most important
suggestion in your issue of Sunday hast
when he said that whatever sewers were
laid should be augmented by the adop-
ton of the dry-earth closet system and
its rigid enforcement.
at is singular that so valuable an
auxiliary to the sanitary care of Il com
munity is so little understood and in
such little use"
"Will you explain that system. Doc
tor, for the benefit of TIE TINES read
ers?" asked the reporter.
Certainly. 1t is SO simple, however,
| that those who are aware of its virtues
will laughed at a suggestion Of its adop-
ton for use in city. In the first place
every closet should be provided with Il
box or barrel SO placed that it can not
get wet during rainy weather. This
box or barrel should be kept filled with Il
mixture OF ulvcrizcd-mind. pulvcrized,
not crushed-carth, clayey dirt pre-
fcrrcd, and lime in proportion Of one to
five: that is. one peck of lime and five
of earth. The dirt can be procured in
suitable condition from of the middle
| of any street where the traffic is great,
and the price of lime is insignificant.
! Mix the substances thoroughly, and
keep the compound perfectly dry Now,
whenever the closet is used, II small
shovcl-fUl OF the mixture should be
thrown into the box.
''Whcn thus used it immediately fixes
tho ammoniacal gases, and transforms
them chemically into perfectly harm
less substance. Care must he taken not
to cast any fluid unnecessarily into the
vault. and then have the boxes. which
should be fright, cleaned often
and thoroughly"
Simple enough suggested the re-
porter.
Yes; but its very simplicity is the
danger. 1t will only be possible to en-
force an observance of the system by the
most rigid laws and frequent impartial,
and competent please tia licisc that
word compctcnt) inspection.
again. There should be u dcsigna-
ted place and manner of Keeping gar
bagc and refuse. One careless or igno-
rant houSekccper in n block will Offset
the efforts of the careful and prudent
remainder by throwing slop, dish-watcr.
soapsuds, and other necessary waste in
discriminatory about the back yard.
This is prolific source OF disease. and
comes within the province of the law to
correct.
Another thing. and will have done.
Every house should have dug, as far
removed from the house as possible, nd
yet some distance away from the privy,
pit for the reception of the :sccumula-
tion OF wastc-watcr, dish-watcr. soap
suds and such other waste as does not
contain solids. 1t should be constructed
as follows; Dig a pit about six feet
deep and three feet in diamctcr on the
bottom lay broken, rough stones 10 the
depth of Il foot; over this lay foot OF
loose gravel, and six inches of charcoal
over that. Then have paved drain
leading from the hydrant and kitchen
with sufficient fall to the pit to insure
the water running into it.
'''Given pit constructed as havn
suggested. garbage receptacle well
looked after and regularly cleaned out,
and IL strict enforcement Of the dry
earth system where sewers are not OBJ
tainable. and onc-half the source OF
preycrtible diseases and deaths will
disappear at once.
Suppose each week citizen Of this
city should be selected by lot, conveyed
to the public square, and there put to Il
painful, slow-torturing dcath How
long do you suppose it would be before
the community would be up in arms &c
bring to- righteous punishment the
parties responsible for such "a state OF
affairs?
''Well, that is the only analogy can
give of what the medical fraternity
term preventible causes and their re-
moval. Some one, or mayhap all, of Il
community is responsible for death
each week 10y reason of not properly
looking to the sanitary condition OF this
city.
'Rsmovc the Cause: the effect will
disappear for want of nutrition
WHO WILL m ZEE:
'inlloting for TIamptnn's s;uce.sso. in
Sunth CaroIina.
COLUMBIA, :. c., Dec. o Special /
The ballot in the two houses to-day for
the successor to Senator Wade lamp
ton resulted: Irby, 50; Donaldson, IS:
Hamilton A. Another ballot u-;ll Lr