The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-02
DIpHYHERIA IN RICHMOND
Is Caused by The Filthy Condition Of PaflS
Of The City.
INSPECTION OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Ara Pools of sfagnant Water n'"
Sewer Connections ana Dirty
Back Yards-A Care

The BOARD of Health. consisting OF tno
president. DR.. Oppeuhimer. ana Do''Oi9
Curd and Harrison, made tour OF ihsp'.'' ~,
Yesterday morning of those PORTIONS u
CITY where diphtheria existed, and by ln'''A-
ton TINS reporter accompanied them
The preyious reports Of the Board OF heai'n
10 the Street Committee Of the Guy
Council and several talks with men-
bers Of the Board had prepared the ro-
porter for bad state Of sanitary anai's'
but the real noisome pestilential, horrible
condition of some of the spots visited IN inc
heart of this city was u startling reNela'iV",
I, seemed wonderful and hardly possible thns
s1ch dangerous conditions OF heaith InI'H'
ening the safety of this clty could oe alio"e1
IA exist even under ordinary circumstances j
The truth we're known to the powers that De-
THE CAUSES.
The IMPRESSION forced itself on the mind OF
the reporter with tie weiZht o. oYerWhe,u,
inge7idence that wherever dphtheiiA eAisern
sanitary defects of the panest sort were VIZ,
lie IA account for IT, and. on the other hanu
whe-e sanitary measures have been grossly
disraarded is the place 20 look Tor tDe
disease. IL has been So far confined aIliesS
wholly 10 Clay ward and III me
descr hing "A horseshoe with one emo RESUME
on Byrd street near First and the othe ir ~
Catherine street west of First street. ne
disease has been Of an extremely VliuieL0
tyne. hut the cases at no time have been very
numerous The weather has decided ehec'
upon its progress. and it !, thought that Two
weeks O, sunshine would stamp 10 ont ehtTei3'
Only one new case was reported yesterday
and that occurred at l03 east BYRD street
where the simplest sanitary requirements
were grossly disregarded On the opposite
side of tha street on the same square la TO-
Gated roy If houses where the disease *
lists. whose back premises are overlooked Wi.h
pestilentia. sewage OF the fOulost character
from stOpIed-up sewers. spring without
an outlet adds % the terrible CONDUIT ~ ana
reeklng garbage thrown out by the tenants
lies everywhere. ono of the worst places on
this block is iaid 10 be owned by the Guy o.
Richmond, and is now used Tor storing paving
material
THE pxNrrTNrfARY BOTTOM.
Further on was visited what is known as
Penitentiary bottom, place damp and iou1,
with open sewage coming from hii-sides IA
every direction yet near the level OF the
bottom is "A well which is used Tor common
purposes aud the water IN II * level with the
ground. Open s,wers run above ana around
it. and its waters must Of necessity oe Dol
lUTfl. ne nOiNlllflltrn Di tlAA' AfNttAtNt 49,
describable. and yet it IS in the heart OF the
city.
Further up this rlyine Canal street crosses.
and the want of sewer and water connections
gives a field for dread disease. Back premises
below the street reek with damp hlth anu aio
subject 10 overflow without an outlet. IN
one of these yards a large pile OF old clothes
and bedding from diphthera rooms lay walt
ing To be hauled of ~ be destroyed. the ordl-
nances not allowing them 20 be burned IN q
yard. M
and Park avenue exist large ponds OF stag
nant water. Some are being filled by the
owners of the land, while Others are stu
standing.
BACK YARDS
Wretchedly filthy back premises exist on
the North side of Broad Just below Hancock
street. and so on down the Ire between lay
and Catherine streets This the line Of the
disease. which has brought sorrow % a num-
her of homes In this city AM the lesson is
plain. The Board of Health las made recon-
mendations 20 the City Couuil IN regard to
oyerv one OF these localities.
The Board of Health Yesterday made ar-
rangement with Chief Of Police Poe for addl-
tional police inspectors and hey Will employ
"a number Of carts TO carry around disiniectng
material for premises IN bad sanitary condi-
action only will met the demands Of tho
case Proper sewerage and = crematory %
burn the nth is the cry Of the health authofi-
ties
Mr.. Edward II Bissol writes to TIE Tnrs
as follows ION tle Brook road. about one
hundred yards from the city limits are To-
cated the slauglfer-houses OF II. trlck and
O.. Rupp Jr.. on the property of Mrs. VI. T..
Burnett The condition Of these premises is
filthy in the extreme. ON premises almost
contiguous one hid has died OF diphthera
within a week ind there aro now -four new
cases in the imufdiato vicinity.
"A daughter - lheO. frck died IN this
neighhorhood a .ew months ago OF a disease
caused by the hlhy condition of the premises
on which she lived
1T is 10 be hoped that We viii soon have n
public opinion il this community that will
sweep away the cause OF such disease"
ornE.
A we'll known citizen left the following
diphtheria remsdy here for publication yes
terday. IL is tiken from the Belfast lrelanll
Witness as follows should You or any If your
family be attaQ.ed with diphtheria. do not be
alarmed az Il is euslly and speedily cured
without q decor. When 10 WAS raging iu
England few years ago / accompanied Dr.
Field on his rounds To- witness the so-c0lod
wonderful cures he performed while tho
sides. Tho remedy Is 80 rapid it must
be simple All he took with him
was powdered sulphur and u quill.
and with these he cured every patient
without exception. He put teaspoon
ful of -four OF birthstone IN u wine-glass
OF water, and stirred with his finger irstead
of spoon. as the sulphur does not readily
amalgamate with witer When the sulphur
was well mixed be gave itas a gargie, and In
ten minutes the patent WAS out OF danger
Birthstone kills eytry species of fungus in
man. beast and plant in tew minutes. D.
stead OF splitting put the gargle, he recon
mended the swah wing of It. in extreme
cases. in which hs had been called just ln The
mex Of time. WHEN the fungus was too nearly
closed 70 allow C. ge garglng, be blew the sui
phur through 3quill into the throat, and
after the fungushad shrnnk 70 allow OF H.
then the gargling He never lost patient
from diphtheria If patient cannot garg.e
take A live chl. put 1t on q shovel and
sprinkle a spoonful or two Of flour OK brim-
stone upon it. 1T the sufferer inhale by hold
ing his head over H."
TIirty-fse AIarrfnees.